2010 — 2018

Afura Store

Len Koster

Design & Direction

Profile

Len Koster

Design & Direction

What I did

Business strategy
Product & brand strategy    
Business development
Creative & art direction    
Digital & social content
    Content strategy    
Creative campaigns    
Creative partnerships
Digital product design
Design systems
Design research
    E–commerce

Research & insights
Product & brand strategy  
Product discovery
Business development
Creative campaigns    
Digital product design
Design systems
Design research
    E–commerce
    Product leadership

Credits

Logo: Timo Kuilder

Afura is an Amsterdam based omni-channel retailer showcasing the best of independent and established, contemporary fashion and lifestyle brands. Committed to presenting well made products from local and international brands in a laid back atmosphere.

The project that started it all for me, a passion project turned into a global business.

Atelier Munro is making menswear personal again. Taking all the best parts of made-to-measure – the choice, the fit, the hospitality, the ‘on demand’ production – and evolving it for the modern man.

I help them merge on- and offline as their Head of Digital.

Visit website

Being young and unafraid of any risks, with some help of student loans, we started Afura Store as we wanted to learn more about running an online store and the world of retail. Being clothing and sneaker enthousiasts ourselves, we thought we could bring a refreshing view to the Dutch retail landscape.

What started as a parttime project next to our studies, resulted in a retail operation servicing customers all over the world from the webshop. While local visitors are welcomed in the flagship store in the city-centre of Amsterdam.

After great consideration, I exited the company in 2019, lungering for a slightly less stressful environment and better work-life balance. All with great confidence that co-founder and remaining partner Victor ter Hark — who is still one of my best friends — would continue the journey successfully.

During my time at Afura, I was mainly responsible for all creative and visual output. From creative campaigns to website updates, and interior design to brand selection. A wide spectrum of experiences that still help me today.

Manifesting character through storytelling

For Atelier Munro, it’s about more than clothing. They want to empower men to reach their potential, inside and out. It’s a ceaseless pursuit of culture, quality, and authenticity. Yes, they create clothes worthy of your character. But they also connect with the world around them, sharing their knowledge, and stopping to appreciate craft wherever they see it.

To make this possible, we revamped the marketing website towards a platform that tells both newcomers and existing clientele the latest stories by the brand — usually in the form long read content empowered by a combination of video and rich imagery.