Stine Nygaard and Christian Kirch Knudsen’s identity for NN.07 is powerfully and profoundly simple

Marking a collaboration between the Copenhagen-based brand’s in-house Art Director & Graphic Designer, Stine Nygaard, and freelance graphic designer, Christian Kirch Knudsen, the pair’s striking, confident identity for fashion house NN.07 is powerfully, profoundly simple – embracing the influence that limited but beautifully-crafted graphic devices can convey. “Introducing a new wordmark has led to the creation of new packaging, labels, and colours, establishing an entirely new minimalist and modern direction for the brand,” the duo tell us, diligently and studiously embracing each aesthetic element to reflect the company’s refined approach to contemporary, casual style – aesthetically impartial to trends and instead embracing of personality and community.

The sharp simplicity of the duo’s approach is felt in its paper-based, plastic-free packaging, indicative of the consideration and quality at the heart of NN.07’s aesthetic and poetic practice. “Since we operate with our own retail, franchise partners, e-commerce and PR,” they contextualise, “it has been challenging to fit a solution that could work for all stakeholders,” where previously each department had its own packaging. “Since the rebranding, we have worked on a solution that not only streamlines all packaging, but could work for all departments and partners,” a process which began with analysing material waste and excess.

“We simplified a pure material and print setup by working with the raw materials’ natural look and characteristics,” they detail, steering clear of dyes, coating and overprocessing, emblematic of the brand’s minimalist, clear-cut approach both to their business and their identity. “To supplement the kraft paper setup, we combined it with elements of Paptic,” they continue, referencing an “innovative natural wood-based material” which offers not only an eco-friendly plastic alternative, but a unique tactile experience, celebrated for its “leatherlike” flexibility. “The result is a packaging programme combining soft textures with raw paper elements,” they add, providing their patrons with a sustainable experience that mirrors the authentic luxury and craft of the products NN.07 offers.

The brand’s minimalist wordmark, set in a bespoke typeface created for the fashion house, echoes the light-handed approach to the packaging. “From the very outset, our process started with the letter ‘N,’” the designers recall, finding it a challenge to find a typeface where the mark’s two parallel ‘N’s were satisfying. “Therefore, we decided to create our own type for the wordmark,” they continue, “which also became clear to us as the only way to stay true to our company values of craftsmanship throughout the entire process,” bringing a balance and harmony to the brand, appropriately reflecting “a better synergy between the brand and the customer experience.”

Continuing NN.07’s unpretentious approach, the designers sought a sense of the ordinary in their typographic output, in search of a typeface that fit well with their bespoke mark and seemed more ‘normal’ than other premium menswear brands, landing on Klim Type’s Untitled Collection – a typographic duo variable between Untitled Sans and Untitled Serif. “Incorporating a variable font with various weights provides the flexibility to explore diverse outcomes. The inclusion of Untitled Sans and Untitled Serif in the brand identity infuses it with playfulness and personality,” they tell us, giving the brand room to evolve and adapt product-to-product. “As a brand, it’s important for us to keep improving and do better,” they conclude, “a mindset we know is shared by our customers.”

NN.07