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Poppy ThaxterTruth & Consequences create an elegant and sporty brand for sustainable athleisure label RSPR
The high-waste and polluting qualities of fast fashion, and notably polyester-based fabrics, were what inspired Qatar-based fashion designer Rina Saleh to launch RSPR, the Arabic country’s first ethics-based, sustainable athleisure brand. Made from recycled plastic bottles, RSPR’s goal is about finding creative ways to do good. In addition to this sustainably-minded approach, Saleh’s unisex brand combats a key issue of athletics wear by infusing the textiles with a Microban antimicrobial fabric that repels odours, consequently leading to fewer washes. To promote her brand in the most authentic way, she invited Philadelphia-based branding agency Truth & Consequences to develop the identity.
In order to highlight the brand’s name RSPR (inspired by the Latin ‘res-pir,’ meaning ‘to breathe’) the team opted for a sophisticated typographic direction. When selecting the right typeface, Designer Ksenia Agres explains, “we looked for a font that would showcase its acronym name through bright and eye-catching capital letters. We wanted a typeface that was not limited to an athletic aesthetic, but was elegant and contemporary, referencing the concepts of elasticity, flexibility and ‘stretch.’”
Therefore, Interval Type’s experimental display typeface Stravinksy was the perfect fit, featuring thick-to-thin transitions in its letterforms that create a fluid, but elegant appearance. To enhance the wordmark further, Truth & Consequences slightly thickened the thin strokes and removed tiny rounded corners, making it more clean and bold. “We also simplified the leg and bar of the ‘R’ to create a more seamless and soft look that better aligns with the brand’s aesthetic,” Agres adds. The primary typeface, Fabriga, continues this aesthetic. Its blend of simplicity, structure and elegance pairs well with the monoline, continuous numeric characters of the logotype.
The brand’s hallmark is arguably its iconography system. The looping characters showcase the number of recycled bottles used in the manufacturing process of each garment, with inspiration stemming from sources such as material, fibre and running tracks. “The organic shapes and flow of the loops evoke a sense of movement and continuity,” Agres adds, “and they are reminiscent of the stretching of a textile and the recycling process.” To complement the pilot RSPR collection, the colour palette draws from the garments’ earthy grey, green and blue hues. A vibrant orange adds a pop of energy and vitality to the palette.
Graphic Design | |
Typography | Stravinsky (customised) by Interval Type |
Photography | Michael Mielcarz |
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