Date
Words
Poppy Thaxter7 identities for fresh and future-forward clothing brands, featuring Moodley, Too Gallus and Decade
Whilst the fashion industry has always been a fast mover, its existence in the digital age has dialled things up to lightspeed. That’s why fashion and clothing brands of today need to make time slow down, be immovable and resistant to the flow of trends. To do this, several of the brands we’ve highlighted look to the past; some consider the future and its impending innovations; and some do what they do best, and keep things authentically human.
Munich-based Airless Fashion GmbH is on a mission to create tights that express female independence and courage. This led them to launch the brand Saint Sass, with its defiant slogan-bearing tights, which aims to combine stylish elegance with the self-confidence of its young target group. Blending the chic femininity of Paris with the daring eccentricity of Berlin, the identity – designed by creative company Moodley – encapsulates the unapologetic confidence at the heart of the brand.
With Banana Republic holding such a valued and beloved status as a home for upscale fashion, it’s only fair that Decade’s brand revamp pays homage to its heritage. In 2021, the New York-based studio worked closely with Banana Republic’s leadership and in-house design team to refresh the iconic American brand. The starting point was found in the letterforms of the original logo, which was based on the typeface Arrow by Walter Diethelm (1965). This font was the basis of sketches for a potential custom typeface, and after receiving the client’s approval, Decade worked closely with Colophon Foundry to craft a bespoke serif. The resulting type system carries the same aesthetic and presence as the mark yet, with two optical sizes – Display and Text – can be used across a multitude of applications.
Looking to expand and diversify its audience, luxury Scottish clothing company Hancock Studio approached Too Gallus to create a comprehensive identity, covering every output of the premium retailer; from art direction, photography and naming to its visual language and web design. In turn, the Glasgow-based design agency reinterpreted the brand – recognising the lineage and heritage preceding it whilst remaining fundamentally future-facing and fuss-free. Helvetica was introduced as the leading typeface, contributing a functional and structured character which extends to the rest of the visual language system. The brand’s key identifier comes in the form of the asterisk, which appears as a recurring motif throughout. Adaptable and ownable, it finds a home within the brand’s wordmark as the dot of the ‘i.’
Exuding confidence and character similar to the brand’s own designs, coastal brand Hype Beachwear's identity – designed by São Paulo-based creative direction and design studio U.I.WD. – finds strength in its simplicity. As the brand’s primary typeface, Neue Haas Grotesk leads the visual language’s minimalist approach. Supporting the stark typographic execution of the brand is its contrarily flexible colour palette, injecting bursts of vivid colour across the identity’s digital spaces.
Taking on the challenge of reimagining Playboy after the magazine’s closure in 2021, NYC-based design studio Decade have provided strength, system and stability through a comprehensive rebrand. The new look marks a pivotal era for the company; transitioning from notorious editorial platform to digital consumer brand. Leading with the legacy of the historic publication, Decade partnered with Commercial Type to craft a bespoke headline typeface for the identity, continuing the exact lettering from the magazine’s iconic masthead. In application, the resulting typeface combines effortlessly with colour, imagery and iconography; providing creative ease and flexibility to the in-house and external teams set to use it.
Founded in Krøderen, Aclima is a Norwegian manufacturer of cutting-edge outdoor-focused wool clothing, having operated since the early 20th Century; supplying the country’s military and polar expeditions. Looking to communicate and reinforce its reliable image, Aclima turned to Oslo-based design studio Neue to design a new packaging system – mirroring the care, quality, sustainability and innovative nature of its products. As a result, Neue devised a clear and functional system that suits each garment’s specific needs, replacing individual styles with a modular approach to type, colour and layout.
Established in Beijing in 2016, MEGA SUEN is a Chinese menswear brand that aims to challenge gender by exploring sensitivity and vulnerability in place of stereotypical masculine qualities. It also hopes to rethink overconsumption by producing garments designed for longevity and recyclability; avoiding the typical high pace and low quality of the fashion industry. To help further establish its ethos, MEGA SUEN turned to Beijing-based design and innovation studio United Design Lab for a rebrand; who fully bought into what the brand stands for with a bold typographic solution. Focusing on neutrality in an attempt to avoid assuming gender stereotypes and loud marketing messages, the resulting visual language allows the brand, its products and the connected functional details, such as washing instructions, to take centre stage.
| Graphic Design | |
| Share |