Reclaiming ‘dirty’ – Studio Chong’s Dirty Birdy identity challenges masculine workwear aesthetics

Studio Chong faced an immediate challenge when their workwear client ran into trademark issues with their original name ‘We Are Tuffs.’ The London and Amsterdam-based studio seized the opportunity to develop both a new name and complete visual identity for what would become Dirty Birdy, a California-based women’s workwear brand founded by Anna and Derek Myers. “Dirty Birdy was born out of reclaiming the mantle of DIY and craft for women,” explains Creative Director Ade Chong. “Bird being an old slang for a young woman, and Dirty – an easy rhyme – but also something completely at odds with the traditional idea of what a woman should be.” The name emerged from the studio’s research into cultural shifts, recognising that hashtags like #GirlsWhoBuild have over 28 million videos on TikTok, signalling a movement the brand could champion. The logo development process proved particularly inventive. Studio Chong collaborated with type designers Rafa and Nina of Treintayseis Estudio, who worked alongside lead designer Harry Vincent to create a mark that fuses the head of an axe with a ‘palometa’ dove screw, forming a bird that serves as both feminine symbol and functional tool. “We went through a rigorous workshop process and ended up with a mark that perfectly captured the duality we were aiming for: tough, but never cold. Feminine, but never delicate,” Chong notes.