The Edit: five new projects including Bless by Studio Miles

Each and every day, we're lucky to discover dozens of interesting and inspiring projects from around the world. From global identities and campaigns to side projects and independently published books, The Edit is home to five of them; every two weeks.

Founded in Montreal, French-Canadian skincare brand Bless produce a line of vegan products made with natural ingredients, ranging from herbal bath salts to body cream. Taking on the challenge of rebranding the company, local graphic design practice Studio Miles were faced with the task of coming up with a new name; settling on ‘Bless’ due to its core meaning of ‘saying or doing good.’ They further developed their naming concept by converting ‘Bless’ into an acronym representative of the brand’s values: Bien-être (French for wellbeing), Local, Ethical, Simple and Sustainable. Studio Miles’ design approach aims to further establish Bless’ natural and vegan credentials, utilising a range of subtle illustrations and soft colours. “It was essential for us that there is a visual impact while being soft and warm,” Creative Director Elizabeth Beaudoin tells us, adding that the colours “contrasting well with the containers” was also an important consideration. For the typography, Studio Miles chose to lead the identity with the friendly elegance of Latinotype’s serif Recoleta. “Recoleta is very readable, modern and aesthetically interesting with its 70s look,” Beaudoin explains, pairing it with the sharp geometry of 205TF’s Basetica, which appears in a pared-back, supporting role.

Brazillian minimalist design studio Milk Supply produces one product and one product only – the self-proclaimed “best t-shirt ever made for the human body.” Available in black, white or grey as part of a quarterly subscription model, the Peruvian Pima cotton-made, gender-neutral garment is intended to be the ultimate starter piece for any fledgling minimalist’s wardrobe. Building on an identity designed by New York-studio PORTO ROCHA and working with copywriter Caio Milanesi, Brazillian art director Lucas Ramos has designed a zine for Milk Supply showcasing the brand’s core values. Titled ‘18 Things,’ the zine combines 18 facts with photography shot in São Paulo; as well as the typographic pairing of Storm Type Foundry’s Jannon and Grilli Type’s GT Alpina Typewriter. “Jannon is a classic Roman font designed by engraver Jean Jannon in the 1600s,” Ramos explains, “its letterforms convey a sense of timeless craft and sophistication in a way that is still warm and approachable.” GT Alpina, on the other hand, is described by Ramos as a workhorse serif; revealing that he chose it as his supporting typeface for its merger of “distinct shapes” and “pragmatic execution.”

Blending fruity sparkling water with an alcoholic twist, Gerry’s is a hard seltzer brand aiming to bring its New Zealand roots to the UK’s beverage market. Building on initial identity and packaging work from Scottish design agency Freytag Anderson, Gerry’s turned to the remote working Studio Chong for help with their brand strategy, website, social and tone of voice. The colourful result sees Freytag Anderson’s retro choice of Plinc Cooper Nouveau take centre as the logo typeface alongside the more practical selection of Dinamo’s ABC Diatype and Pangram Pangram Foundry’s Agrandir. “When developing the brand identity,” Creative Director Adeline Chong explains, “we looked for more practical fonts in terms of legibility but wanted to maintain the light, friendly and fun typographic style of the brand.”

Taking place for the first time between 20th April and 29th May 2021, the Festival Internacional de Fotografía de Castilla y León, or FIFCYL, is a photography festival in the northern Spanish city of Palencia highlighting a selection of the industry’s leading contemporary operators. Its identity, from Barcelona-based Bakoom Studio, plays with focus and blur to convey a direct connection to the subject matter. Revolving around a bold sans serif ‘F,’ the identity balances graphic expression and vibrance with a subtlety and appreciation for negative space that allows the imagery to take centre stage.

Located in Auckland, Magnesium is a performance-based media agency with a process based around their own intelligent technology that monitors audiences and impressions. Working with nearby design agency Studio South, they brought their vision to life through a reinvigorated brand identity; utilising the tactility of print effects and finishes alongside digital, kinetic exploration. Working collaboratively, the two companies developed a wide range of brand outcomes across digital, print and physical environments, landing on a system reflective of Magnesium’s technological, future-facing approach.