Culture Fusion — Patterns
A repeatable pattern system for a Chinese-Kiwi jewellery store — weaving the *yún* (lucky cloud) with the koru into a single, quietly cohesive language.
- Client
- Chinese-Kiwi jewellery store (via Context Architects)
- Year
- 2023
- Role
- Supporting designer
- Deliverables
- Repeatable pattern system · Glazing graphics · Packaging artwork
The brief
A Chinese-Kiwi fusion jewellery store in Auckland needed a graphical pattern to sit alongside the logo and visual identity our team had developed — light, engaging, repeatable, and unmistakably part of both cultural stories the brand was telling.
The idea
I worked alongside our Visual Identity lead and proposed weaving the Chinese narrative of the yún — the lucky cloud — with the Māori koru, the symbol of new life and growth. Two motifs from two cultures, each carrying a wish for fortune and vitality. The repeatable graphic plays them together without forcing either into the other’s shape.
The application
The pattern was applied to the glass storefront (also doubling as required visibility markings for health & safety) and to the store’s packaging, so the brand reads consistently from window to wrap.
Skills & tools
Collaboration, research, traditional + digital illustration, pattern making, Adobe Illustrator.
The yún speaks of good fortune; the koru of new life. The pattern only works if neither has to shout to be heard.
Gallery
