On Monday (December 3rd, 2019), the first design of the Daniela Sämmler collection will be available here . Almost exactly four and a half months have passed since the initial idea for her own sock. Many designs were developed, discarded, adapted, and finally produced. Dani even wore an interim draft during her victory in Italy in September. With the refined design, we were able to incorporate and highlight further crucial aspects. Through this blog, we want to take you along on the development process and reveal the ideas behind the final design.
Developmental steps of a very personal sock
A brief recap
In mid-July 2018, less than two weeks after her magnificent victory at Challenge Roth in The idea for INCYLENCE Mirrored Pink was born: Couldn't we create something of our own? What could a custom sock look like? Could we create a design that reflects Dani's personality and is truly something personal? Daniela and INCYLENCE were quickly captivated by the idea, and so the first designs – now well over 50 – were developed. From the very beginning, the following different aspects were defined that needed to be incorporated into the sock.
A strong personality
Anyone who has taken a closer look at Daniela Sämmler and followed her career knows that the 30-year-old is far more than just a professional triathlete. As a mother of a seven-year-old son, she manages to juggle training, family, and other commitments. An honest and strong character, she stands up for her values, represents them with conviction, and is therefore a role model far beyond the realm of sports.
→ So it was clear to us that we wanted to work with clear and straightforward elements to reflect its character, its many facets and, last but not least, its clear structure.
A first prototype at IRONMAN Italy. Photo credit: Andrea Guerriero
A champion comes back stronger after setbacks.
What matters is not that we fall, but how we get back up: It goes without saying that even world-class professionals experience setbacks, both in sports and in their personal lives. Injuries, illnesses, or simply bad luck: Sporting success is built on many pillars, each of which has its own impact on the overall picture. Dani has proven time and again that she can overcome setbacks and even come back stronger. For example, after the 2016 IRONMAN Hawaii, still the toughest day of her athletic career, and a subsequent diagnosis of a thyroid condition that sidelined her for several months, she returned stronger and had her most successful season to date in 2017: victories at IRONMAN Hamburg and Challenge Heilbronn, as well as podium finishes at Challenge Walchsee, the 70.3 Rügen, and IRONMAN Barcelona. Most recently, she did not let a botched race at IRONMAN Hamburg derail her and secured victory in Italy a few weeks later, simultaneously qualifying for Hawaii in 2019.
→ With a mirrored design, we want to depict sporting highs and lows. The fact that the mirrored elements are placed in the middle of the sock and thus framed, illustrates Dani's strong support network, on which she has been able to rely all these years.
A clear athlete profile
Of course, we also wanted to reflect Daniela's unique athlete profile, including her strengths and weaknesses (if you can even speak of them). After all, the new sock is meant to accompany and represent her in training and competitions throughout 2019. In recent years, Dani has significantly improved her cycling performance through structured and rigorous training, as well as the support of her partners, and has had a major impact on her results. This has allowed her to dominate many races from the front.
→ Different elements are intended to represent the three disciplines of triathlon and to showcase Dani's great cycling strength. The strong emphasis on the three middle bars highlights this aspect.
The final design: INCYLENCE Dani Signature
A completely new world of color
The choice of colors, like all other characteristics, was made in close consultation with Dani. A strategic direction for her brand in 2019 was already taken into account and reflected in the design. The colors are also intended to convey Dani's personality and her proven world-class athletic ability.
→ The gradation of blue tones is sporty, dynamic, and elegant at the same time. Pink elements emphasize her femininity and are a visual highlight.
Building bridges to the INCYLENCE look and feel
In all our considerations regarding how to reflect her personality, one thing was clear to us from the start: the sock had to fit the look and feel and also the brand identity of INCYLENCE. So we wanted to build bridges in several areas: to Dani's "lucky sock" - INCYLENCE Mirrored Pink - and to our corporate identity, so that the Daniela Sämmler collection would visually fit into the INCYLENCE product world.
→ We continue to work with geometric features, use strong colors, employ mirrored elements, and retain the existing shape of our packaging.
One thing is certain: the final design is the result of a lot of thought, numerous ideas, and very different approaches. In our opinion, the final design successfully incorporates many of Daniela's important character traits and characteristics, creating a personal product that will hopefully bring her many more happy moments! We're so glad you're on the team, Dani! #huntincylence
→ Click here to go to the product page of the INCYLENCE Dani Signature sock.
Full speed ahead towards shared, new goals