LeLap

LeLap is a premium private label brand for cats and dogs, fashion-forward clothing, minimalist accessories, leather goods, beds, scratching posts, and toys. With 30–70 SKUs built for the most discerning pet owners across CIS markets, LeLap exists for people who hold aesthetic standards just as high for their pets as they do for themselves.

As Art Director leading the in-house team at Petshop Group, I led the full brand build from zero: naming, strategy, visual identity, logotype, packaging, and trademark registration with the legal team.

Build a premium private label brand that genuinely earns its position not through price, but through design intelligence, material quality, and a visual identity that communicates refinement at every touchpoint.

And find a name that could be legally registered, resonate emotionally with CIS audiences, and carry a sense of European refinement all at once.

'Lapa' the Russian word for 'paw' gave the brand an immediate emotional connection. The French prefix 'Le' lifted it into something elevated, adding a quiet European sensibility that signals quality without announcing it.

The result is a name that feels both intimate and aspirational, familiar enough to trust, refined enough to desire. Legal registration was built into the naming process from day one.

Brand strategy started with a clear understanding of the target audience: pet owners with genuine taste who want their pet's world to reflect their own aesthetic. Products that belong in a well-designed home. Clothing built around minimalist silhouettes in quality fabrics. Accessories with clean hardware and considered proportions. Beds and scratching posts designed as furniture-adjacent objects.

The legal registration process was built into the naming work from the beginning, not treated as an afterthought. I worked closely with the legal department throughout the naming stage to ensure LeLap was trademark-viable across relevant markets from day one. The name that launched was built to last and to be protected.

A clean, elegant logotype. A restrained palette of warm neutrals and earthy tones—nothing trend-dependent, nothing that would date. The kind of palette that photographs beautifully in a home and holds its character across seasons and categories.

The overall aesthetic is deliberately understated. In a noisy category, LeLap chose confidence over volume—a brand that doesn't need to announce itself because everything it makes says the same thing clearly.

LeLap launched across online and offline retail within the Petshop Group ecosystem and connected immediately with its audience. The scalable identity system meant new categories and seasonal additions could be introduced without losing the brand's signature restraint.

Sonya Mudvex | Art Direction, Copywriter
Mark Kholodaev | Designer