Clim Studio is Fashion Forward
By Alixandra Rutnik on Apr 03, 2024
YG11 winner designs vibrant rebrand for Helia
The summer nostalgia in NYC is real, especially when Mother Nature gave us a week of 70 and sunny in March and then decided to backtrack and give us a week of sideways freezing rain and 60 mph winds in April. We are definitely ready for some warmer, sunnier weather, and Clim Studio's rebrand for Barcelona handbag company Helia is getting us in the mood for just that. Waves of colorful hydrangeas are crashing against handmade-in-Spain leather bags as if we were at the beach listening to the sounds of the ocean.
We caught up with the founder of Clim Studio and Young Guns 11 winner Clim himself about this summery project.
How did Clim Studio get involved with the Helia rebrand?
We were so excited when we received Helia’s brief and automatically fell in love with their brand and products. Fashion is the perfect industry for the type of work we do, and this was an amazing opportunity for the studio to start pushing toward it.
“Fashion is the perfect industry for the type of work we do, and this was an amazing opportunity for the studio to start pushing toward it.”
The initial brief was to make a 30-second film for the launch of their first collection, “Elaia.” It wasn’t their intention to commission us with a rebrand, but we showed them the need to revise their brand before launching it into the world. It is important to tighten all the knots properly before a launch.
Our approach always puts the client at the center. We listen to them. They know who they are better than we do, who they want to be, and how they want to be positioned. After listening to our client, we analyze, think, re-organize, re-phrase, and then guide and advise again. They are the experts on their brand, and we are the experts on design and animation.
In what ways did you incorporate Spain and Spanish culture into the branding (since everything is handcrafted in Spain)?
One of the core values of their brand is “being Spanish.” Spain is a country with a complex history, multiple nationalities, and different ways of life. The North is totally different than the South, and we realized our client was referencing more of the Barcelona and Andalucia cultures. We landed on “Mediterranean” as our theme because it embodies Spanish culture, and it also allowed us to infuse the brand with a clear direction. Also, being Mediterranean myself allowed me to emotionally connect with the brand.
“We landed on “Mediterranean” as our theme because it embodies Spanish culture, and it also allowed us to infuse the brand with a clear direction.”
Helia gave us a very good brief with plenty of values and thoughts that describe its brand and its key values perfectly. They gave us femininity, flowers, and the sun, so we gave them their essence all throughout the design and animation.
When people think of the Mediterranean, they will probably think about all of its clichés: summer, good food, blue sky, crystal water, and hortensias – these concepts marry perfectly with luxury, which is another important pillar of Helia's brand. Then we started brainstorming about Caravaggio, whispers, secrets, and the breeze.
Let’s talk about the details– color palette, typography, movement, florals, femininity, salty breeze, the sea of secrets, Mediterranean whisper… what pulled you to take the branding in this direction?
Concept, writing, design, animation, colors, rhythm, cadence, sound, and even the noisy post-production are all a part of the recipe. They all add up to create a cohesive language to answer the brief. And you can only achieve that by trying multiple things at the same time. Refining and fine-tuning. Expertise and exploration.
What elements do you start with for a rebranding project?
You have to find the what first. What’s the space, the essence, and the crucial elements to create this space in your imagination?
I personally start all our projects with a piece of writing. A text-edit document with ideas, thoughts, and concepts. When I find something that is a good “could work,” I jump into the visual research– both of these combined kickstart all the projects.
Because Helia is new, we started with the animation to create an imaginary world, as it was the center of the initial brief.
In terms of visuals, we started with the art direction and photography. We needed to create this to find the soul of the brand, which then facilitated the creation of the graphic rebrand. Once we had the visuals for the film, we focused on the graphic design: typography, corporate color palette, editorial layouts, etc. We tied it all together and created the branding.
How has winning Young Guns positively impacted the last ten years of your life and career?
Young Guns gave me international recognition. It opened up a door for me at a very young age and gave me the confidence and power to work even harder. It also helped me grow and explore.
“Young Guns gave me international recognition. It opened up a door for me at a very young age and gave me the confidence and power to work even harder.”
What’s up next on your radar for creative (re)branding projects?
We are working on a full re-brand for Clim Studios, which will be launching this year. This will hopefully give us more possibilities of getting more re-branding projects, which we feel truly passionate about.
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