Evolving Creativity and Production: Key Takeaways from the AxV Ambient Vigilante Collaboration

This series is our open notebook—a place where we share real, candid experiences from our creative journey. Whether you’re a fellow creative, business owner, or marketer, our posts offer insights, strategies, and case studies drawn from our wins, losses, and hard-earned lessons. We’re here to tell it like it is, so you can learn from our journey and apply these gems to your own projects.

Inspiration and Creative Direction

The Ambient X Vigilante project was a pivotal moment for us. It marked my first personal foray into professional fashion, merging years of creative illustration with live fashion design. Partnering with Devin Ricks—whose expertise in sewing and design has long been recognized—we transformed upcycled thrift store finds into a small-batch, couture-like collection. Our work came to life through a dual campaign, combining Devin’s striking photography with my digital illustrations using Procreate. A highlight was our innovative marketing approach at the La Ventana show, where we used QR codes linked to a type form to engage attendees and spark early interest.

Growing Pains and Valuable Lessons

Every creative project brings its own set of challenges, and Ambient X Vigilante was no different. One major learning was the importance of preparation—not just in the creative process, but in building the groundwork for market success. We discovered that having a limited, one-off production run can restrict immediate sales, as many interested buyers were turned away due to the lack of on-the-spot sizes and available stock. Our experience underscored the need for strategic execution, ensuring that anticipation and accessibility are built into the campaign well before launch.

Moving forward, we’re taking these lessons to heart. This journey has provided dope insights on balancing artistic innovation with practical production, and it’s a blueprint for how to refine and elevate future projects. Stay tuned, as we’ll be featuring more voices from our creative network—like Jordan from the NOxID brand (contributing his own insights on progressing through the fashion journey) along with more from Devin.

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Inspired by our journey? If you have a project in the works or need guidance on navigating your own creative ventures, contact us to see how our network can help you bring your vision to life!