OUGD603: Maison Margeilla Identity & Packaging

MMG's identity is unique by its modern take on modernism; they question what is the needed communication and amplify that in a crisp, clean and informed way by the history and future of the company. By needing to say to little, the logotype is the prominent feature within their work, alongside a consistent style for all aspects of their range. Luxury is emphasised by the French house by the high volumes of negative space, suggesting they don't need to shout about themselves in order to be noticed and respected.

Always consistently black on white

Always iconically consistent typeface

Rarely use images within their branding content

Emphasis is on the design and production quality, debossing, embossing, spot glosses and  quality stocks or fabrics 

Logotype can be adapted and added to in different ways, introducing the serif 'Paris' underneath acts as an establishment/reference tag, with the alternating typefaces giving aspects of unique differentiability to their product range.

 Typeface elements can be expanded and blown into their own features

-Consistent use of Helvetica light
-Consistent use of bold Serif's - initially more ornamental (Saint Laurent as seen above) and moving towards typewriter over the years
-Consistent use of grid and transferability

Interesting ways of packaging products - delivery boxes rather than bags

- Plastic/transparent dustbins and carrier bags for inside luxury bags. Bags which will be given out in shops need to have the an extremely production quality as that is one of the main forms of street advertising.

How the logo and iconography can be adapted on buildings and alternative forms of packaging, the numbers acting as a guide to the con-tense

Additional Research 

http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/the-meaning-of-margiela
http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/martin-margiela

The Ethos of Maison Margeilla as an avant-garde label sprung out of the reaction against the glossy high-maintenance fashion of the Eighties and maintains a deconstructed (intentionally unfinished) aesthetic to the present day. The label persistently presents the idea of anonymity within their collections, quite synonymous with high fashion niche's, they often sends models down the catwalk with their faces concealed so the concentration is on the clothes.



The use of numbers throughout the MMG branding refer to the different collections, although not all of them are in use. 

Of the ones they do use, they reference the following:

0 – Garments remodelled by hand for women

0 10 – garments remodelled by hand for men

1 – the collection for women

10 - the collection for men

4 – a wardrobe for women

14 – a wardrobe for men

11- a collection of accessories for women and men

22 – a collection of shoes for women and men

13 – objects and publications

6 – garments for women and men.

The idea of gender ambiguity within the MMG brand is topical when considering Zlata's clothing, which too is genderless. The incorporation of codes and concealing would be interesting due to her Russian heritage and the collection references.