The Cortina Agency / Anvil Knitwear

Anvil Knitwear 2009 catalog


Context

Graphic Designer · 2009

Services: Publication design · Layout system · Photography direction · Print production oversight

Client: Anvil Knitwear (via The Cortina Agency)

The Anvil 2009 Collection catalog is the brand's primary sales reference — a comprehensive guide to every garment in the line, organized for professional buyers in the decorated apparel industry. At this scale, it's as much an information design problem as a graphic design one: hundreds of SKUs, dozens of product families, color swatch accuracy requirements, and specifications that buyers would rely on to make real purchasing decisions.

Anvil Collection 2009 catalog cover — responsibility, integrity, value
Interior spread — The return of neon, chromaZONE garment-dyed tees
Interior spread — Beyond the basic tee, full product range overview
Interior spread — Youth collection
Interior spread — Eco-spun tees and Anvil and the American cotton farmer

Approach

The design direction was deliberately editorial — closer to a fashion trade publication than a typical wholesale catalog. The cover leads with lifestyle photography and a values-driven tagline ("responsibility integrity value") rather than a product grid, positioning Anvil as a brand with a point of view rather than just a supplier.

Inside, each section opens with a themed spread that tells a product story — "the return of neon" for the chromaZONE line, "beyond the basic tee" for the accessories and extras — before moving into detailed product reference pages. This structure gave buyers a reason to actually read the catalog rather than skip straight to the SKU listings, while the product pages still delivered everything needed for ordering decisions: numbered flat lays, color swatches, style numbers, and specifications in a clean typographic hierarchy.

Photography direction was part of the work: consistent styling standards, ghost mannequin and flat lay conventions maintained across the product range, and color accuracy requirements built into the production workflow from the start — because a swatch that doesn't match the actual garment is a problem that starts at the design table.


Outcomes

  • Oversaw all print checks and printing production for the marketing team, from press proofs through final delivery
  • Delivered on schedule for the trade show season
  • The layout system established in this edition was carried forward into subsequent catalogs
  • Anvil's sales team cited improved navigability over previous editions
  • The editorial approach contributed to Anvil's positioning as a premium brand in the wholesale apparel market