knell: A boutique built for trust + Community
knell is a women’s boutique built for tactile connection: touching, trying on, seeing how things move, and learning from knowledgeable staff.
The concept is intentionally local and in-person—no online store—built to be a destination in Carmel and a beacon for the community around it. knell brings a showroom-like level of edit and restraint to Central Indiana: fewer pieces, better chosen, and designed to be worn for years.
The Point of View
At the core of Knell is a simple belief:
Fewer pieces. Better choices. Worn for years.
A tactile, curated boutique built around limited-run classics you can wear a hundred ways.
Knell isn’t about “show pieces” that live in the closet. It’s about everyday favorites, pieces that feel good on your body, work with lots of other things, and keep earning their place over time. That POV became a filter for every decision: curation, experience, space, and how the brand shows up in the world.
How it came to life
Launching a first-time shop in a competitive area has an early stage most people underestimate: before customers exist, you’re already building alignment—with landlords, contractors, fabricators, sign teams, and vendors. We’ve been seeing niche brands and vendors get more selective about where their product lives, which means clarity matters early. Not as hype, just as a clear story.
Our role was to help Christy define the core (positioning, messaging, POV), then translate it into a consistent real-world experience across identity and space. That clarity made the downstream work possible; collaborating with the build team, guiding visual direction, and helping knell present itself with confidence and coherence long before “proof” could come from foot traffic.
Just as important: the process gave Christy a decision filter. Instead of designing from vibes or aspiration, we kept returning to what knell promised: tactile connection, limited-run curation, and wearable classics so the brand stayed honest and the space stayed aligned.
Building Trust Early
knell is a good example of when positioning, messaging, and identity do more than “look good.” They can help a business communicate intent, taste, and seriousness—so the right partners understand what you’re building and why it matters.
What this represents
Knell is a strong example of what we mean by Brands You Can Walk Into: when the space is part of the brand, identity, messaging, and environment can’t be separated. A clear point of view makes everything downstream easier. Your decisions, partnerships, and the experience people actually have in the room all become part of the whole.
Brands You Can Walk Into
See our work
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