We were asked to reinterpret the essence of the acclaimed French fashion house Paco Rabanne through a full rebranding. Working closely with the label’s creative director Julien Dossena, we developed a comprehensive brand system – including new logo marks, typography, packaging, accessories, print collateral, campaigns, a website and art direction – to coincide with the opening of Paco Rabanne’s first new shop in ten years, designed by OFFICE.

Since 1967, when the architect-trained fashion designer Paco Rabanne unveiled his iconic ‘12 Unwearable Dresses’, fabrication, the artistic avant-garde and material-derived silhouettes have played key roles in shaping the identity of the brand. Informed by our research into this past, we developed a visual identity that modernises this radical house.

The original 1970s identity has been newly streamlined as a monogram and logotype, featuring carefully finessed details inspired by ink-traps, which have been derived through an exploration of the physical construction of letterforms. The new monogram was redrawn using a monowidth stroke to expose its structure and to give the mark a lighter, more contemporary feel. A new custom typeface, Paco Sans, combines geometric qualities with warmer human forms and has been designed for use across Paco Rabanne’s communications. Our work also extended to the design and art direction of a new multiplatform e-commerce website, built by the brand’s technical partners, where visitors can shop the latest collections and discover the unique history of the House of Paco Rabanne.