Studio Brief 01, Logotype - Interim Crit

The overwhelming response was to re-design American Apparel that reflected their morally correct business practices and funky clothing. Make it represent their signature hues and silhouettes their known for and stray away from the oddball design pieces and over sexualiased ads and controversies.

It was also agreed on that their current logo was too plain amongst its competitors. The overused Helvetica typeface blends into the storefront and it doesn't reflect the unique character the brand has when you enter the store.  The problem with the current brand logo is that its too in keeping with the design trends that was present in making of its logotype. Helvetica is huge in America. Brands like Target, AmericanAirlines, Staples and a whole range of others are predominant in American consumer culture. 

However the key aspect I noticed which runs throughout these brands was the use of colour. And in agreeing with Massimo Vignelli's design principles, the use of colour here is to create a signifier and an identifier. There is nothing relatively associating about the current American Apparel logotype because of the lack of colour and nature of Helvetica. The black and white colour palette makes it blend into its surroundings and it is further emphasised by the understated, unassuming visual aesthetic that is Helvetica. 

In relation to their relatively high clothing prices, there were suggestions to take a more upmarket route in the re-design. To sell the image that American Apparel are an exclusive brand such as AllSaints, Alexander McQueen and Norse Projects. These brands are highly sought after because they have selected stores all over the world and base most of their business of their website. American Apparel on the other hand grew too fast and have too many storefronts to maintain profit. They should scale back and focus on having flagship stores in key cities like L.A, London and Tokyo to help promote a new exclusive image.

So to carry on with the brief, I shall look into typefaces upmarket brands use and look into the signature clothing and hues that make American Apparel recognisable.