Sans Serifs in Luxury Brands

NEW TYPO-

GRAPHIC GOSSIP

table of Contents

WHAT IS LUXURY?

From an etymological perspective, the word luxury comes from the Latin “luxus” which means superabundance, excess in the way of life or a display of wealth aimed at satisfying desires that transcend real needs. As Sombart states, luxury is any expense that exceeds what is necessary.

Sombart 1967

How do luxury companies get people to buy things they don’t need?

For example, Fionda and Moore (2009) conducted a multiple case study and found that clear brand identity is a crucial distinctive attribute of luxury brands and that the fashion element of each brand has significant correlation with brand values. They also emphasize the importance of design signature along with iconic products and the history and heritage of a luxury brand, which are considered crucial as they bring an element of authenticity.

It’s apart of our culture to want expensive things we can’t afford because our society and social media glorifies it as something that will make us happy. The way these companies present themselves furthers this desire as well.

THe new

The existence of luxury brands is very much attached to their hundredyear-old culture and heritage. Even though it is a different time now, luxury brands are still using their founder’s story, culture and heritage to sell the brand. That fact alone is valid enough to back-up the argument behind the debacle of why it’s such a big deal when luxury brands unveiled their sans-serif fonts that bear resemblance to one another.

TREND

Till recently, the way the brands identify themselves in their typography had more individuality. As you can see in the image here, these example of luxury brands use all different typefaces, from serif to sans- serif, from all capitals to proper; all having unique brand identities. In the last decade, we have seen a distinct pattern in the new redesigns of these luxury logos.

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Why be a copycat?

Luxury brands want to look the most modern and want to keep up with the changing environment.

All these logos look so similar and lose their memorability, the only good reason I can think of would be with their new look the logos can be adjustable on different screens and platforms, eliminating a scalability issue. Reaching to phones and social media easier means more reach to gen Z.

The Similarities in the Trend

• black & white

• sans serifs

• spaced lettering

• upper cases

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The OG Sans Serifs

A good bit of the logos included in this booklet haven’t changed much over the years. I would say that they are the trend setters, the ones that were already showing luxury sans serif.

For example, The Estée Lauder logo hasn’t changed much since 1946. It uses very dainty san serif typeface, which spreads the charm of sophistication and luxury. Refined lines are intricately connected into a single pattern and are nothing more than amonogram style is ancient Byzantine writing, conveying the airy lightness of perfume aromas.

Chanel is luxury at its best. The most famous fashion house in the world was created in 1910 in Paris, by a legendary woman, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Today the brand, famous for its little black dresses, has not only women’s fashion line, but also cosmetics and sports equipment, and of course, perfume, distributed all over the globe. The yearly revenue of the company is more than 10 billion USD. The Chanel logotype is a celebration of the brand’s roots and heritage, which has never been changed since the day of its introduction in 1910.

The simple yet bold wordmark in black-and-white was placed on all the fashion items, created by the iconic designer, and stood for elegance, comfort, and chic. The custom Chanel logotype, set in all capitals with bold clean lines, is executed in a traditional sans-serif typeface, which is pretty close to such fonts as Double Porter 3, RoundCut Bold, and ITC Blair’s Pro Bold, but with some of the lines modified. the legendary fashion house follows the most common trend in the industry, using a simple and timeless combination of black and white, which looks extremely powerful and elegant on these stable modern shapes of the elements.

While the logo of the Japanese personal care company Shiseido went through an update in 2016, the overall style of the design remained pretty much the same. Both the current Shiseido logo and the old one featured the name of the brand in a pretty similar sans serif type. The type would have looked generic if not for the “s’s.” The glyphs have an unusual shape – they look as if the curves of a regular “s” have been slightly straightened. The first “S” is larger than the second one. The old logo was purple, while the current one is black. Also, the type was slightly thinner on the old logo, while the current version looks bolder.

Its minimalist logotype with just two unique details in it is executed in a lightweight sans-serif typeface with clean wide contours of the letters, standing for finesse and sophistication. The custom typeface was designed exclusively for Shiseido, is based on such fonts as Todes Bold or Blacker Sans Pro Text ExtraBold, but with both letters “S” softened and stretched. Similar to the other brands mention this company was already aprat of the sans serif trend. An important difference in this brand is it still maintains a uniqueness because of the stylized “S”. This brand also uses different colors for the logo according to the product its on.

Calvin Klein is a fashion designer from the USA, the founder of an eponymous fashion house. Today, it is a high profile brand, which is known both inside the country and overseas. Although, the Calvin Klein logo isn’t in all caps it has all the other similarities to the trend. Calvin Klein has his logotype in lightweight sans-serif since the very beginning of his brand. The visual identity redesign of 2017 brought something new to the Calvin Klein logo — now it has its letters capitalized, and they are executed in the typeface the brand used for its logotype in the 1980s, ITC Avant Garde Gothic Pro Book. The letters are placed pretty close to each other, which makes them look slightly condensed yet solid and strong.

The current logotype uses a very similar style as its direct predecessor. In fact, it’s the same font, except with small letters as well capital ones. The Calvin Klein logo is highly minimalistic, which is quite in keeping with the logo strategy commonly followed by many renowned fashion houses. The logo comes in three colors: black, grey, and white. The black version is common to the Haute Couture line, the gray one appears on regular clothes, and the white version – on sportswear. These colors symbolize purity, elegance, perseverance, and grace.

Another one of the OGs , Tom Ford. The full name of the designer and filmmaker is Thomas Carlyle Ford. He was born in Austin, Texas, and spent his childhood in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, and in San Marcos, outside Austin. Having dropped out of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, which he entered at the age of 16, Ford moved to New York City and entered New York University. Later, he studied interior architecture at Parsons The New School for Design. Although he devoted his final year to studying fashion, he graduated with a degree in architecture. Before founding his namesake brand, Tom Ford worked as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. The design forces behind the brand opted for a minimalistic, utterly utilitarian sans serif type.

This is an extremely popular sans serif typeface and set of computer fonts delivered with all versions of Microsoft Windows, as well as Apple’s macOS. There is sensible distance between the letters of the wordmark, which is pretty common amoug the other luxary brands. The palette of the Tom Ford logo basically uses the same colors as the logos of the majority of fashion companies, black and white. This is a wise approach as it does not limit the variety of backgrounds over white it can be used without the need to change the color of the logo. What makes Tom Ford’s wordmark stand out is that it is more often dominated by black as the black, not white, is typically used as the background color.

Saint Laurent was established in France in 1961, and named after its founder, a famous designer Yves Saint Laurent. This brand is a real icon in the history of fashion and is considered to be one of the chicest and elegant. Today YSL is owned by Kering and has a yearly revenue of more than one billion USD. The visual identity of the legendary french Maison du mode has been very consistent until 2012 and was composed of an elegant logotype with a monogram as the brand’s signifier. The two elements could be used together, of the monogram was placed on its own on the perfume bottles or fashion tags. the concept was changed with the new creative director of the brand.

The redesign of 2012 was held after the name of the famous fashion house was shortened to just Saint Laurent. The new concept is built around the new brand’s name, written in bold sans-serif letter, and a more elegant “Paris” in a different typeface. The upper line of the logo had its letters in Neue Helvetica enlarged and clean, while the “Paris” tagline, also in the uppercase, is executed in a modern serif typeface which is pretty similar to Copperplate Gothic Std Bold, and has its letters placed far from each other, which adds air and lightness to the image.

Givenchy is now among the largest French luxury fashion and perfume houses. The founder, Hubert de Givenchy, was the first high fashion designer to introduce a luxury ready-to-wear clothing line. The Givenchy logo is simple and functional. The type is a sans serif with classic proportions. All the letters are capitalized, and there is generous breathing space between them. As a result, the wordmark is perfectly legible no matter what size it is, large or small. Sometimes, the wordmark is used on its own but it also quite often comes together with the Givenchy symbol. The symbol is made up of the four letters “G” creating a distinctive pattern, which looks like Celtic jewelry.

In some cases, the lettering “Givenchy” (with or without the quadruple “G” symbol) is paired with the word “Paris,” which is given in smaller letters below. In addition to the main Givenchy logo, the company also uses a specialized emblem for its fragrances. It is based on the primary wordmark, which dominates the design. Above, the word “Parfums” (French for “perfumes”) can be seen. It is much smaller than the word “Givenchy.”

Louis Vuitton is a luxury lifestyle and fashion brand, which was established in 1854 in France and named after its founder. During its first years, the company was focused on the production of high-quality trunks and by today it grew into one of the most famous fashion-houses in history, designing garment collections for men and women, along with iconic accessories and footwear. The visual identity of the famous fashion label is elegant yet bold and definitely one of the most recognizable across the globe. The text-based logo of the brand is composed of the full wordmark and a monogram, which is also used for the fabric patterns and buckles of the luxury brand’s products.

The logo for the fashion house was designed in the middle of the 19th century and has never been changed, there were just some additional emblems added throughout the years and for some time the wordmark was removed from the official logo, leaving the monogram as the main and only part of it.

The Louis Vuitton logo is executed in two different styles. The whole brand’s name which is placed under the monogram is written in all capital letters of the light and elegant Futura sans-serif font, which reflects the modern and progressive character of the fashion house and perfectly balanced the boldness and classic elegance of the monogram.

Balenciaga is a high-end French fashion brand, which was created in 1955 by Cristobal Balenciaga. Demna Cvasalia is the brand’s creative director since 2015. The very first logo for Balenciaga was introduced in 1917 and boasted an elegant capitalized inscription placed under the light yet strict and strong emblem, composed of two letters “B”, placed back-to-back and connected with three diagonal lines, representing stitched and pointing on the brand’s fashion direction and specialization. The logotype was written in a lightweight sans-serif typeface, which was very similar to such fonts as FM Bolyar Sans Pro 400 and Zurich Std Roman Extended. There was also a small “Paris” tagline placed on the bottom level of the emblem.

The redesign of 2013 made the Balenciaga logotype bolder and more solid. Its capital letters were now written in another typeface, with thicker lines and less place between the symbols. The new font of the fashion house was close to Sweet Sans Medium Small Caps and looked traditional yet sleek. As for the emblem, now it was not used on the official version of the logo, yet still could be seen on the brand’s prints and some materials. The current Balenciaga logotype is executed in a condensed version of the previous font used by the brand. Its letters became narrower and taller, looking stronger and more stylish, being bright even without any additional. The font of the label’s logotype is similar to Zurich STD Bold Condensed and Shilia Condensed Heavy.

Established in 1895 by Alessandro Berluti, the luxury leather brand designs and retails men’s shoes, belts, bags, wallets as well as bespoke and ready-to-wear menswear. Berluti’s previous logo was in a thinner serfi font with regular captalization. It was very spaced out a nd gave a very sophisticated but calming ton eto the brand. It didn’t have the year like the new one incudes but did have Paris in the same light serif typeface underneath. The new logo that came out in 2018 , has a very different tone to it. It was transformed into this powerful logo that represents its history in a bold and interesting way. The new logo although still apart of the trend of luxury brands still has its uniqueness.

In the sans serif much thicker typecae there are little cuts of in all of the letters except for the top of the “B”. This gives an organic but structured tone. In the new logo the year the company was estapliched is included and so is the word “Paris”, which incapsulate the main name of the company. The logo sticks to black and white for its colors as do all the luxury brands. These colors comunicate sophistication.

Burberry is a high-end fashion house, which was established in 1856 in England. Today it is one of the most famous labels in the world, with its instantly recognizable iconic trench coats and checkered patterns. The brand has its boutique worldwide and sells its luxury fashion items through almost 500 boutiques across the globe. The current Burberry visual identity was created in 2018 and is a reflection of the new era for the brand. It represents a modern and young approach to design, emphasizing the progressive and energetic character of the label and its willingness not only to follow the current new trends but also to create them. The wordmark is usually used on its own but sometimes is accompanied by a “London England” tagline, which is also written in capitals.

The knight is removed from the official logo, however, it still appears on tags and packaging of the brand, as well as on the patterns of the branded clothing and accessories. The redesign of 2023 has dramatically changed the style of the Burberry logo, adopting a new typeface, which is completely different in style and mood from the previous one. The refined uppercase inscription is set in a fancy and elegant font with shots and playful serifs on the end of slightly flared bold bars. The lettering is still set in plain black, but with the redesign it started looking more feminine and lively, as if the characters are going to start dancing above the line. The new font also looks a bit nostalgic, and looks like something in the middle between Moonllys Regular, and Valeson Condensed Regular.

Balmain is a French luxury fashion brand established in 1945. The French fashion designer Pierre Balmain made his debut in the world of haute couture immediately after the end of World War II. In 1945 he opened his first boutique in Paris. Soon Pierre Balmain joined the elite of haute couture. Among his clients were Vivien Leigh, Catherine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot, and Sophia Loren. Unlike some couture houses that turned their backs on the ideas of the original designer, Balmain has always proudly remained true to the vision and pristine spirit of its founder. Since Pierre Balmain’s death in 1982, the house has been guided by a number of strong designers, each balancing modern trends with the need to respect the house’s foundations and traditions.

The old Balmain logo was dominated by the word “Balmain” in an elegant and somewhat heavy serif type. The thickness of the glyphs varied. In the thickest parts, there were white gaps. The word “Paris” was given in smaller letters below. Here, the type was a simpler sans. In 2018, Balmain falls into the trend . The design team was led by the brand’s creative director Olivier Rousteing. The new brand identity includes two elements: a large “B” icon and the wordmark “Balmain Paris.” The bold uppercase lettering from the primary Balmain badge is set in a modern geometric sans-serif font with stable characters and straight lines. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Colville Bold, or Neue Radial B Bold, but with the characters slightly condensed.

Rimowa is a luxury brand of travel goods and luggage manufacturing companies, which was established in 1989 in Germany. The brand became famous due to its iconic aluminum suitcases and was acquired by LVMH Group in 2016. Rimowa used sans seris in a lot of their logo designs, they got off that train but hopped backed on to the trend in 2018. The Rimowa logo designed in 1937 featured a traditional elegant badge composed of a horizontally oriented ribbon with curved sides and a bold black uppercase wordmark on it. The lettering was executed in a slightly narrowed sans-serif typeface with each letter solid and stable. The redesign of 1950 changed the concept of the logo, placing the refined and modernized logotype on a white background and enclosing it into a clean horizontally stretched oval, drawn in thin lines.

The new image looked strong and stylish despite its minimalist design. In 1981 the Rimowa logo was changed again. The concept of the logotype enclosed into an oval frame remained, but the execution was changed. First of all, the color scheme got switched to blue and white, and the lines of all elements became thicker. The typeface of the lettering was also changed and now it was a custom rounded sans-serif font with unique shapes of the letters. The Rimowa visual identity is a reflection of a luxury fashion brand, which values quality and design above all. The logo, composed of a wordmark with an emblem, looks simple yet sophisticated and high-end. The Rimowa nameplate in all the capital letters is executed in a clean and sharp sans-serif typeface, designed by Bureau Borsche exclusively for the brand.

Although a much longer name this company still follows our trend. Diane Von Furstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon von Fürstenberg. In 1974, she created the iconic wrap dress, which became a symbol of power and independence for women all over the world. DVF is now a global luxury fashion brand celebrated for its effortless glamour. The original logo was unique and elegent. It was heavily based on the acronym, which was dainty due to the thin type face . The acronym intertwinned itself with overlapping letters. The company name in much smaller size would lie underneath the logo half the time.

The name of the company was in a thin sans serif typeface. Jonathan Saunders took over creative direction of Diane von Furstenberg, the brand, from Diane von Furstenberg, the person. When a new direction came a new logo did too. In 2018, like many other luxury brands the new look was big, bolder, and simpilar. Since the name is so long the logo isn’t as spaced out as most of the other brands shown in this booklet. The other similaties are all there though. The dainty serif initials were out the window. Replaced with a thick sans serif Helvectica looking type face.

A look at our final logo, Celine along with the rest of these brands comunictaes luxury through sans serif typography. The fashion house direction in the early 1970s, started with designing garments and accessories for women, and this is when the first official logo was introduced. The logo for Céline featured a bold sans-serif logotype in monochrome, executed in clean lines with traditional shapes. The letters were placed very close to each other and were accompanied by a black emblem placed above it. The emblem depicted a man in a carriage with a horse, moving from right to left. The delicate “Paris” tagline was placed under the main nameplate in small capitals. A lot like our current trend for the fashion houses. The redesign of 1990 made the logotype the only element of the brand’s visual identity. The neat and bold sans-serif letters were placed pretty far from each other,

creating a sense of lightness and elegance. The airy wordmark was executed in a font that was very close to Neue Helvética. In 2012 the logo was changed again, and this is when the accent above the letter “E” appears. It adds unique style and character to a simple monochrome inscription, making the logo recognizable and memorable. The lines of this version were bolder than on the previous one, and the letters were placed closer to each other, creating a balanced and solid look. The typeface of this version is similar to Futura BT Pro Medium. In the most recent update in 2018, accent above the letter “E” was removed and the typeface changed to a more modern and bold one. The new logotype is executed in a sans-serif font, very similar to Semplicita Pro SemiBold, with wide contours and distinct lines.