Meet Autumn Mishler | Brand Identity Designer & Visual Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Autumn Mishler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Autumn, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?

Growing up in a low-income family in Flint, MI had a huge impact on who I am today. My mother was a single mom of three who struggled to support us all financially but never struggled to support us emotionally. Even when everything was chaos around us the consistency in her message was that I could do and be anything. Witnessing her stress about bills and rent and how to keep going instilled in me this irrefutable determination to never allow myself to live that way. When I was a teenager we moved eight times in a span of two years. I learned to be okay with change and the unknown… to welcome it, even. This upbringing ingrained into me a restless energy, a perpetual curiosity, an absolute avoidance of stagnation, and an insatiable thirst for adventure. I have changed my mind a lot and wandered down so many different paths as a result. I think it’s been incredibly powerful for my growth and my creativity. Anytime I find myself not liking where I am, I jump. I will leap even when where I will land is unknown. I started with graduating from cosmetology school my first year out of high school then I switched and majored in English and Dance… When I dropped out of the University of Michigan to move to NYC I had very little idea of what life awaited me on the other side. I worked in fashion merchandising for a while and even took classes at FIT for a few semesters. Each change in direction and each chapter I have written has helped me to hone the creative skill set I have now.

Being raised with a scarcity mindset made owning my own business seem like such a far away dream. When I made the leap in 2018 to leave my in-house designer job in the corporate beauty industry to be an independent designer, I had no concept of how to make that happen. Now, here I am doing exactly that in 2022. I create brand identities for bars and restaurants in New York City. Tell that to 15 year old Autumn and she would laugh at you! Truly though, I wouldn’t be here without the mindset and tenacity I developed through the struggles of my early life. Without the ability to change my mind, and the self empowerment to break away from the societal pressure to conform, I would probably still be stuck on one of those paths that didn’t fit quite right. I wouldn’t be living this incredibly full and beautiful life I’ve curated for myself. I am truly so grateful for all of it.

Through it all I’ve learned to always trust in the universe and to trust myself. It will always work out. Even if the leap doesn’t result in the way you may anticipate, or if the journey gets incredibly hard at times, everything will happen exactly as it’s meant to. Just keep flowing, and learning, and being.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I am a one-woman design studio that focuses on brand identity work in the hospitality industry, mainly for bars and restaurants. It hasn’t been easy. I was bartending full time up until July of last year while also balancing the multiple venues and design jobs I had. The first few years of being an independent designer was really just about taking the jobs that came my way, of course, and I was all over the place with what I actually wanted to be working on. I kind of fell into designing for the hospitality industry, to be honest. It wasn’t something that was ever presented as an option in design school… they always talked about the big industries like fashion or beauty. As a result, I’ve noticed that there’s endless opportunity here.

I always wanted my work to benefit the world. I played with the idea of working for a social impact design agency for a while but was resistant to the typical office schedule after my experience with being in-house. When the pandemic hit and all of my hospitality clients had to shutter their doors for a while, the realization dawned on me that my work in creating these spaces was a huge benefit to the world. Bars and restaurants are where our stories happen. They are the places we celebrate our wins and mourn our losses. They’re where we meet up for a drink with dear friends or meet new ones on the dance floor. Where we make up. Where we break up. Where we mark milestones. The backdrop of movie moments and the favorite hang in many tv shows. Memories are made here. When the brand identity of a space is well thought out and well executed, it creates an unconscious comfort for the guest. A well engineered menu design, for example, takes away the guess work for the guest and creates an ease to the experience that allows them to be more present and aware. It’s a team effort with the staff on the front lines, of course. The in-house team who truly embodies the identity and story of the space bring it to life and complete the full experience.

Building brands for bars and restaurants has made me realize that my passion lies in crafting the human experience. I love to create atmospheres or spaces that make people feel delight, and wonder, and welcome. The last few jobs I’ve taken on, and one I am currently working on, have given me the opportunity to hone my skill set further, past graphic design, into interior design and in creating the full experience. I just painted my first mural for Bosco – a new cocktail bar on Bleecker St that I also designed the brand identity for. I also recently helped open The Woo Woo in Times Square – a 1980’s themed speakeasy that I designed, directed & curated. I am so excited for what the future holds and the other concepts I get to play with to come.

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Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being outside is my favorite so I definitely love to show off the parks. Prospect Park is hands down the best in NYC, you can’t change my mind. A picnic there is a must and probably by the boathouse. From there, a walk around downtown Brooklyn/Park Slope/Boerum Hill is a great time to pop in and out of the shops. I do love to stroll down Brooklyn Bridge Park too. The view of Manhattan from there is just so lovely. I’m a huge fan of dancing so hitting House of Yes/House of X for a party at night (bonus points for a costume requirement) is at the top of my list. Other options include shows at Brooklyn Mirage or Company XIV. As for where to eat or drink… I love to discover new places being in my line of work so I try to always mix it up. But, if I have to choose, a few favorites are Gage & Tollner, Employee’s Only, Bo Peep, Barely Disfigured, or anywhere that knows their way around a proper cocktail. All in all, though, I am a huge fan of spontaneity… of seeing where the story takes us, what we can discover together, and the new characters we meet along the way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, there are so many people to thank for being a part of this journey with me. First, my grandma Linda deserves major thanks… without her consistent love and constant support I would never have learned to truly trust myself and fully believe I could do anything. Without the passion and encouragement of my college mentor, Jason Falk, I never would have even considered designing/developing brands as an option. Thank you Jason for teaching me your process, sharing your brain, and igniting a strategic fire in my soul. I have Bernard McNamee to thank for giving me my first independent design job (redesigning the menus at Vida Verde) that was a catalyst for opening up this hospitality design wormhole. A great Thank You goes to Michael McNamee for the absolute honor in creating The Woo Woo and for trusting my crazy ideas. My biggest thanks goes to Kevin Doherty who has empowered me so much as a designer and has truly encouraged my creative growth. Thank you Kevin for trusting me to create your visions, for Tara Rose, for Bosco, and for so much more to come in the future.

Of course, I also have to thank all my beautiful friends, I truly couldn’t be here without any of you (especially Tamara, Sarah and Emily). Your love, your support, your listening hearts, I am forever in awe of you and forever thankful to have you by my side in this crazy journey.

Website: autumnmishler.com

Instagram: @autumnmishler

Image Credits
Josh Sells, Zeke Washington, Anton Khmarun