Quick service, reframed.

Context

Nyla House built its early following on the momentum of private events: buzzy, one-off moments that got attention but didn't translate into loyalty. The food & space hadn't kept up with the hype, and the branding didn't reflect the IRL experience. The brief was to shift the brand's center of gravity: away from relying on those moments and toward the culinary craft and daily experience that could sustain it.

Role

I led the art direction for an end-to-end rebrand, translating the founder's vision into a cohesive brand world, developing the new visual language across digital, social, in-store and experiential execution and writing the brand's slogans and social copy, including photography of the new staff uniform as part of a collaboration with Cookman Chefwear.

The Work

The priority was building an identity that put craft and consistency at the forefront. I developed the brand system around the classic Americana deli aesthetic color palette, saturating the colors to make it fresh and vibrant enough to be extended across packaging, signage, social and the in-store environment.

The editorial, direct-flash photography elevated a familiar deli concept into something more premium, lingering on texture and ingredient detail. I directed and produced the photography myself, creating visuals that highlighted the thoughtfulness behind the brand experience.

Building on the visual rebrand, I helped shape the brand's cultural footprint, DJing at brand events to create an atmosphere that mirrored the visual identity.

Result

Leading this rebrand meant treating Nyla House as a system held together across photography, uniforms, merch, signage and events with enough flexibility to keep growing. Balancing consistency without rigidity was central to the work.

Learnings

I was originally brought on to do the Cookman Chefwear campaign shoot, then was brought on as the Creative Director for the brand. My photography in the original shoot was more of a textured, gritty aesthetic, but had I developed the brand system first, I would have been more consistent with the Cookman shoot.

"The new branding looks good. The new templates are crisp."
- Kylei, Founder