001 BACKGROUND
002 PROBLEM
004 VISUALSYSTEM
005 PRODUCT
& MERCHANDISING
009 MY ROLE
010 REFLECTION
003 STRATEGY
008 RESULT
More than music.
THE COLLECTIVE CREATED MOMENTUM.
THE INDIVIDUALS CARRIED IT FORWARD.
A powerful legacy. A fragmented presence.
Beyond product, creating cultural objects.
A brand becomes real when people can step inside it.
From Harlem
to the World
Emerging from Harlem, The Diplomats built an identity that extended far beyond music. Their sound, fashion, visual codes, personalities, and unapologetic New York attitude created a cultural universe with a deeply loyal following.
Years later, that cultural equity still existed. The opportunity was to understand what made it powerful in the first place—and determine how that legacy could continue to live in the present.
The goal was not to replace the existing visual identity, but to identify its strongest cultural signals and build a more cohesive system around them. The IP’s legacy offered a endless inspiration for the brand language, with elements such as the eagle insignia, New York attitude, streetwear references, and a culture rooted color palette becoming recurring cues across product, campaigns, and physical environments.
The work extended from screen and product into physical spaces—through pop-ups, retail environments, events, content production, and cultural activations that gave audiences a chance to engage with the brand directly.
These experiences helped turn the brand from something people simply recognized into something they could participate in, remember, and share with others. By creating moments where artists, products, audiences, and culture could meet in the same space, each activation became part of a larger brand experience. Those shared memories helped strengthen loyalty, encouraged organic word of mouth, and allowed the brand to continue living beyond the event itself through the people who experienced it.
Working with The Diplomats taught me what cultural legacy really means—how it can carry different meanings for different people, how it connects communities, and how important it is to preserve, evolve, and celebrate it with care. The goal was never to make the past look new, but to find new ways of looking at the past and giving its meaning a place in the present.
This project taught me what it means to work as a director across every stage of the process: moving between strategy and craft, researching culture and designing for it, and staying close to the work through execution to make sure an idea survives the journey from concept to reality.
Expanding The Diplomats-related work
into Asia required more than simply
moving product overseas. The challenge
was to introduce a distinctly Harlem-born
cultural identity within a different creative
context while preserving its authenticity.
Through partnerships, artist relationships, retail activations, and localized execution, the work connected New York street culture with audiences and collaborators across Japan and Asia.
As collective visibility returned, individual identities became another opportunity for expansion. Rather than forcing each artist into one shared expression, the broader ecosystem created space for their individual personalities to become more distinct.
Jim Jones became the clearest example—through JOMO, product, content, collaborations, and continued cultural appearances, the work evolved from group equity into a platform with its own identity.
We used familiar cultural references to express The Diplomats’ legacy in a more accessible way. By blending recognizable codes with contemporary design, the identity felt more approachable, relevant, and connected to a wider audience.
PRESERVE THE LEGACY
Keep the symbols, attitudes, and cultural codes people already love The Diplomats for.
REFRAME THE EXPRESSION
Translate those codes through contemporary product, imagery, content, and experiences.
CONNECT THE DOTS.
PEOPLE COME TOGETHER.
BRAND STRATEGY
Cultural analysis / Positioning / Ecosystem building
ART & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Visual direction / Campaigns / Content
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Concept / Design / Sampling / Manufacturing
EXPERIENTIAL
Pop-up / Retail / Event design / Onsite execution
PRODUCTION
Vendors / Budgets / Schedules / Logistics
GLOBAL ACTIVATION
US - Japan coordination / Retail / Partnership
EXPAND THE ECOSYSTEM
Move the brand beyond nostalgia into new products, markets, communities, and individual artist platforms.
As internal tensions between key members continued to shape the group dynamic, The Diplomats became increasingly fragmented as a collective brand. Individual careers remained active, but there was no consistent creative direction connecting unified brand, content, visual identity, and audience experience.
Product became one of the most direct ways to transform cultural memory into participation. Across apparel, special editions, artist-specific pieces, and collectible formats, each release became another physical expression of the broader Diplomats universe.
007 GLOBAL EXPANSION
①
②
③
006 EXPERIENCE
CASE FILE 001
The Diplomats
Art Direction / Brand Strategy
2021-2026
001 BACKGROUND
002 PROBLEM
004 VISUAL SYSTEM
005 PRODUCT & MERCHANDISING
009 MY ROLE
010 REFLECTION
003 STRATEGY
008 RESULT
THE COLLECTIVE CREATED MOMENTUM.
THE INDIVIDUALS CARRIED IT FORWARD.
A powerful legacy.
A fragmented presence.
Beyond product, creating cultural objects.
A brand becomes real when people can step inside it.
From Harlem to the World
Emerging from Harlem, The Diplomats built an identity that extended far beyond music. Their sound, fashion, visual codes, personalities, and unapologetic New York attitude created a cultural universe with a deeply loyal following.
Years later, that cultural equity still existed. The opportunity was to understand what made it powerful in the first place—and determine how that legacy could continue to live in the present.
The goal was not to replace the existing visual identity, but to identify its strongest cultural signals and build a more cohesive system around them. The IP’s legacy offered a endless inspiration for the brand language, with elements such as the eagle insignia, New York attitude, streetwear references, and a culture rooted color palette becoming recurring cues across product, campaigns, and physical environments.
The work extended from screen and product into physical spaces—through pop-ups, retail environments, events, content production, and cultural activations that gave audiences a chance to engage with the brand directly.
These experiences helped turn the brand from something people simply recognized into something they could participate in, remember, and share with others. By creating moments where artists, products, audiences, and culture could meet in the same space, each activation became part of a larger brand experience. Those shared memories helped strengthen loyalty, encouraged organic word of mouth, and allowed the brand to continue living beyond the event itself through the people who experienced it.
Working with The Diplomats taught me what cultural legacy really means—how it can carry different meanings for different people, how it connects communities, and how important it is to preserve, evolve, and celebrate it with care. The goal was never to make the past look new, but to find new ways of looking at the past and giving its meaning a place in the present.
This project taught me what it means to work as a director across every stage of the process: moving between strategy and craft, researching culture and designing for it, and staying close to the work through execution to make sure an idea survives the journey from concept to reality.
Expanding The Diplomats-related work into Asia required more than simply moving product overseas. The challenge was to introduce a distinctly Harlem-born cultural identity within a different creative context while preserving its authenticity.
Through partnerships, artist relationships, retail activations, and localized execution, the work connected New York street culture with audiences and collaborators across Japan and Asia.
As collective visibility returned, individual identities became another opportunity for expansion. Rather than forcing each artist into one shared expression, the broader ecosystem created space for their individual personalities to become more distinct.
Jim Jones became the clearest example—through JOMO, product, content, collaborations, and continued cultural appearances, the work evolved from group equity into a platform with its own identity.
We used familiar cultural references to express The Diplomats’ legacy in a more accessible way. By blending recognizable codes with contemporary design, the identity felt more approachable, relevant, and connected to a wider audience.
PRESERVE THE LEGACY
Keep the symbols, attitudes, and cultural codes people already love The Diplomats for.
REFRAME THE EXPRESSION
Translate those codes through contemporary product, imagery, content, and experiences.
CONNECT THE DOTS.
PEOPLE COME TOGETHER.
BRAND STRATEGY
Cultural analysis / Positioning / Ecosystem building
ART & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Visual direction / Campaigns / Content
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Concept / Design / Sampling / Manufacturing
EXPERIENTIAL
Pop-up / Retail / Event design / Onsite execution
PRODUCTION
Vendors / Budgets / Schedules / Logistics
GLOBAL ACTIVATION
US - Japan coordination / Retail / Partnership
EXPAND THE ECOSYSTEM
Move the brand beyond nostalgia into new products, markets, communities, and individual artist platforms.
As internal tensions between key members continued to shape the group dynamic, The Diplomats became increasingly fragmented as a collective brand. Individual careers remained active, but there was no consistent creative direction connecting unified brand, content, visual identity, and audience experience.
Product became one of the most direct ways to transform cultural memory into participation. Across apparel, special editions, artist-specific pieces, and collectible formats, each release became another physical expression of the broader Diplomats universe.
①
②
③
006 EXPERIENCE
CASE FILE 001
The Diplomats
Art Direction / Brand Strategy
2021-2026
001 BACKGROUND
002 PROBLEM
004 VISUAL SYSTEM
005 PRODUCT & MERCHANDISING
009 MY ROLE
010 REFLECTION
003 STRATEGY
008 RESULT
More than music.
Preserve
Reframe
Expand
Collective Spotlight
Individual Spotlight
THE COLLECTIVE CREATED MOMENTUM.
THE INDIVIDUALS CARRIED IT FORWARD.
A powerful legacy. A fragmented presence.
Beyond product, creating cultural objects.
A brand becomes real when people can step inside it.
From Harlem to the World
Emerging from Harlem in the late 90s, The Diplomats built an identity that extended far beyond music. Their sound, fashion, visual codes, and personalities created a cultural universe with a deeply loyal following.
Years later, that cultural equity still existed. The opportunity was to understand what made it powerful in the first place—and determine how that legacy could continue to make impact in the present.
The goal was not to replace the existing visual identity, but to identify its strongest cultural signals and build a more cohesive system around them. The IP’s legacy offered a endless inspiration for the brand language, with elements such as the eagle insignia, New York attitude, streetwear references, and a culture rooted color palette becoming recurring cues across product, campaigns, and physical environments.
The work extended from screen and product into physical spaces—through pop-ups, retail environments, events, content production, and cultural activations that gave audiences a chance to engage with the brand directly.
These experiences helped turn the brand from something people simply recognized into something they could participate in, remember, and share with others. By creating moments where artists, products, audiences, and culture could meet in the same space, each activation became part of a larger brand experience. Those shared memories helped strengthen loyalty, encouraged organic word of mouth, and allowed the brand to continue living beyond the event itself through the people who experienced it.
Working with The Diplomats taught me what cultural legacy really means—how it can carry different meanings for different people, how it connects communities, and how important it is to preserve, evolve, and celebrate it with care. The goal was never to make the past look new, but to find new ways of looking at the past and giving its meaning a place in the present.
This project taught me what it means to work as a director across every stage of the process: moving between strategy and craft, researching culture and designing for it, and staying close to the work through execution to make sure an idea survives the journey from concept to reality.
Expanding The Diplomats-related work into Asia required more than simply moving product overseas. The challenge was to introduce a distinctly Harlem-born cultural identity within a different creative context while preserving its authenticity. Through partnerships, artist relationships, retail activations, and localized execution, the work connected New York street culture with audiences and collaborators across Japan and Asia.
As collective visibility returned, individual identities became another opportunity for expansion. Rather than forcing each artist into one shared expression, the broader ecosystem created space for their individual personalities to become more distinct.
Jim Jones became the clearest example—through JOMO, product, content, collaborations, and continued cultural appearances, the work evolved from group equity into a platform with its own identity.
We used familiar cultural references to express The Diplomats’ legacy in a more accessible way. By blending recognizable codes with contemporary design, the identity felt more approachable, relevant, and connected to a wider audience.
PRESERVE THE LEGACY
Keep the symbols, attitudes, and cultural codes people already love The Diplomats for.
REFRAME THE EXPRESSION
Translate those codes through contemporary product, imagery, content, and experiences.
CONNECT THE DOTS. PEOPLE COME TOGETHER.
BRAND STRATEGY
Cultural analysis / Positioning / Ecosystem building
EXPERIENTIAL
Pop-up / Retail / Event design / Onsite execution
ART & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Visual direction / Campaigns / Content
PRODUCTION
Vendors / Budgets / Schedules / Logistics
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Concept / Design / Sampling / Manufacturing
GLOBAL ACTIVATION
US - Japan coordination / Retail / Partnership
EXPAND THE ECOSYSTEM
Move the brand beyond nostalgia into new products, markets, communities, and individual artist platforms.
As internal tensions between key members continued to shape the group dynamic, The Diplomats became increasingly fragmented as a collective brand. Individual careers remained active, but there was no consistent creative direction connecting unified brand, content, visual identity, and audience experience.
Product became one of the most direct ways to transform cultural memory into participation. Across apparel, special editions, artist-specific pieces, and collectible formats, each release became another physical expression of the broader Diplomats universe.
JIM JONES at BET 2025
The Diplomats
— Jim Jones, Cam’ron, and Juelz Santana at Madison Square Garden, New York.
007 GLOBAL EXPANSION
①
②
③
006 EXPERIENCE
CASE FILE 001
The Diplomats
Art Direction / Brand Strategy
2021-2026
