Chris Page’s refined and structural identity for Esquivel steers clear of architectural gimmicks

Coming from a background in design and architecture, London-based jewellery designer Esquivel crafts pieces of jewellery that simultaneously exude a sense of rigorous structure and refined delicacy – inspired by 20th Century architectural formations. Needing an identity to match the concept of the pieces, Esquivel turned to graphic designer Chris Page, who has since executed this vision with succinct typographic sensibility.

Working across not only the brand but also the website and packaging system, the London-based creative has grounded a meticulous graphic system in Esquivel’s architectural context, however has shown restraint in doing so. Page’s graphic and typographic application is referential and similarly structural without falling into architectural gimmicks – resulting in a tactile, functional and inherently slick identity that utilises the technicality of an architectural practice without it becoming burdensome in the process.

This is most acutely realised in the product naming system Page developed for Esquivel’s pieces. “It derived from the title block found on technical drawings,” he tells us, wanting to apply a similar thought process to the product naming, “giving each an identification code that would hold all the key information about that particular bespoke piece.” The provision of detail and specificity is mirrored in the use of Pangram Pangram Foundry’s Neue Montreal; a powerful, versatile and crucially functional typeface that exudes clarity to perfectly match the sincerity of the subject matter. “It reflected the ethos of the Esquivel product,” Page explains, “when used it’s precise and gets to the point but still has a friendly and approachable side.”

Both complementing the aesthetic but acting somewhat wonderfully contrary to the concept, Page’s inclusion of colour injects a sense of luxury into the identity. This manifested in a soft pink as the hero colour – supported by a grey inspired by the clay, slate and concrete found in architecture – that, alongside a prominent use of gradients, provides warmth and accessibility to the identity.

The gradients in question go hand-in-hand with the technical line drawings that accompany each piece of jewellery which detail the key features of the design. “We wanted to represent each of the jewellery pieces in its simplest form,” Page concludes, “these core shapes are also represented in a print series that plays with the notion of architectural light and shadow,” creating an elegant and decadent backdrop for Esquivel’s equally dynamic pieces.

Chris Page