About Etienne Esmenjaud

Etienne has been shaping the way brands look and feel for nearly 20 years, and for him, design has never felt like work. It’s instinct, craft and obsession rolled into one.

Born and raised in Antibes on the French Riviera, Etienne grew up in a place of contrasts: everyday life set against a backdrop of luxury boutiques, yachts and high-profile events like the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix. In an environment where appearances often shaped perception, he became fascinated by how presentation could influence opinion. How the way something looks affects the way it’s valued.

He studied product design in France before moving across the Channel to continue his design education, immersing himself in the English language and a new culture. This experience shaped his design personality, blending the pragmatic efficiency of the UK approach with a distinctly refined sense of style and creativity – his “trademark French touch” as colleagues often call it.

Recognition soon followed. In 2006, Etienne won the prestigious Royal Society of Art Design Directions Award, and in 2012, his work was selected by Kevin McCloud as one of the Green Heroes at Grand Designs Live. These milestones affirmed his natural affinity and intuition for design.

A freelance contract at one of Hampshire’s leading design agency proved formative: he saw how flashy presentations and account-driven promises often left clients with mediocre outcomes, executed by junior teams with little oversight. Design treated like a commodity. It was an experience that solidified his vision for The Brand Tailor – if design matters, it must be held to the highest standards, delivered with integrity and serve the client directly.

In 2010, he co-founded the agency and started collaborating with talented creatives who shared his ethos: craft fused with strategy, with no shortcuts. Together, they work to create brands that are not only visually striking but also strategically considered. All reflecting the client’s story and supporting its business objectives.

Every project is a chance to articulate a brand’s personality, help businesses stand out in competitive markets, and create an impression that resonates long after the first encounter. His approach is rigorous but human: he challenges to reach beyond aesthetics, to produce work that is both beautiful and functional, imaginative yet grounded.

Today, Etienne leads The Brand Tailor with a combination of vision and pragmatism. Under his guidance, nothing is accidental: every detail is deliberate, every line, every colour and pixel chosen with purpose. Yet there is joy in the rigour: his passion for design is contagious, and his energy drives a creative environment where creativity and strategy can flourish.

He believes that design should be simple and elegant, yet functional and purposeful. For clients and colleagues alike, working with him feels like stepping into a space where design is far more than decoration: it is clarity, strategy and direction. It is the art of making something that connects with people.