WHY WE’RE HERE
Our Inspiration
The Black Iris is one of the rarest flowers in the world.
It grows near excavation sites, blooming only once the ground has been cleared.
This is the inspiration for our studio.
Every brand carries a structure of ideas, beliefs and intentions beneath the surface. With the right strategy, design and positioning, those ideas can take shape, gain dimension and become something the world can see, trust and respond to.
Our Purpose
We help brands and organisations ensure their impact matches the ambition of their mission.
OUR VALUES
Impact
We exist as a studio
to make a difference.
It’s how we measure success.
Attunement
The strongest ideas sit beneath the surface. We listen for what’s unsaid, uncover what’s overlooked and give form to what matters.
Precision
Every element of our work is built with intention, ensuring it’s considered, clear and built to last.
OUR TEAM
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CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTORKass has a particular ability to sense what is innate in a brand. Not what it's saying or showing on the surface, but the deeper quality that makes it distinct.
Her background in international business, strategic communications and sociology means she arrives at creative work differently. She begins with seeking understanding, seeing a brand three-dimensionally: from the inside to the outside, from the audience's point of view and the cultural context around it.
Her interest is in what sits beneath explicit messaging, the human undercurrents that allow a brand's expression to become more distinctive and alive.
Across her 15-year career, spanning global advertising, editorial publishing, sustainability and the arts, this way of seeing has shaped the worlds organisations build around their work. She brings brands into coherence, visually, strategically and instinctively, so they become more themselves.
At Studio Black Iris, Kass leads the brand and creative practice.
Connect:
kass@studioblackiris.com
www.linkedin.com/in/kassvaldi/
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CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTORHugo has spent his career understanding what people and organisations need, often before they can articulate it themselves. It's what has made him both an effective advocate and strategist and what shapes every client experience he brings to the studio.
His background spans senior roles across major industry bodies, advocacy groups and businesses, including the Victorian Chamber of Commerce, Energy Networks Australia and Port of Melbourne.
Throughout his career, he has directed major national advocacy campaigns that have shaped policy and public understanding. What distinguishes his approach is the ability to hold both the institutional and the human in view at once. He works with leaders and executives shaping their personal influence and identity and with businesses looking to build the kinds of partnerships and positioning that can move the world around them.
At Studio Black Iris, Hugo leads the studio's advocacy, positioning and reputation work.
Connect
hugo@studioblackiris.com
www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-twopeny
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MARKETING ASSOCIATESophie is a marketing and creative specialist with experience across social impact and the arts.
Her background spans communications, graphic design, marketing and curatorial work, including the marketing and operational delivery of the 2026 Melbourne Art Fair at the Melbourne Art Foundation, and PR and digital communications at Gajah Gallery in South-East Asia.
At Studio Black Iris, Sophie brings both a creative eye and an operational instinct to helping clients communicate with better precision and impact.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne, with studies in International Relations, Art History and Economics.
Connect
sophie@studioblackiris.com