The Ten Best Logos In Fashion | How To Create Your Own?
13 min readTop 10 Fashion Logos – The Best Clothing Brand Design
In fashion, brands are not just manufacturers of their products, they are their products. For a luxury brand, whether it is clothing or accessories, its name (usually represented by a very recognizable logo) is just as important as its style, the materials it uses as well as its know-how. We do not just buy a bag from Louis Vuitton, are purchased from Louis Vuitton!
More than in other fields, fashion depends on its brand identity to attract customers and build a relationship of trust. Clothing is part of identity and brands need to find buyers who will adhere to their specific style. This means designing a logo that will appeal to the right people, using the right shapes, colors, and fonts, to reach their audience.
And what if you don’t have the knowledge of shapes, colors, fonts, and all the techniques of logo design? In this article, we explain the dos and don’ts of creating a great fashion logo, a guide specifically for beginners who want to get their hands dirty. First, we’ll analyze 10 of the best logos in the fashion world, and then we’ll deliver some tips that are accessible and applicable to everyone. You can use all these techniques to create your own logo and make it to the podium!
The 10 Best Fashion Logos
Louis Vuitton
One of the biggest advantages of fashion logos is that if they look good, you can use them anywhere on your products. No one has applied this lesson better than Louis Vuitton, whose logo is everywhere on their high-end bags. For this to work well, they just needed to create a very simple logo. A logo using the entire name would have been too long to use on all products, so they created a monogram using the initials, LV.
It is the way the letters are arranged that gives this style. On the one hand, the letters are in Serif (the serif is the name of a family of typefaces that marks the letters with small strokes and returns, which gives a serious and formal impression). Serif fonts are quite common in fashion logos, it creates a sophisticated effect.
However, what really sets the Louis Vuitton logo apart is the oblique of the L which aligns with the oblique of the V and makes it parallel to it. As a creative industry, haute couture brands have every interest in maintaining an unconventional and original look; thus, small notes of this kind twist the appearance of the logo and make it more attractive.
Dior
Unlike Louis Vuitton, Dior is a brand that produces more clothing, shoes and beauty products than accessories. This means they didn’t need to create a compact logo as it won’t be used as a repeat design on the products. As a result, the brand was able to test logos centered on their name, especially since it is short and has only four letters.
The distinctive sign of the Dior logo is the D which is disproportionate in size to the other lowercase letters of the name. This gives customers an element that catches the eye and that we remember well and that will be anchored in the memory.
The rest of the typography uses the usual techniques found in the fashion industry: a sophisticated, serif typeface in black letters. Much like formal typefaces, black is associated with sophistication, power, and mystery, making it a perfect element for haute couture.
Giorgio Armani
In comparison with other brands, Giorgio Armani has one of the most conventional-looking logos. On the one hand, it’s the only logo that includes an animal on our list (animal mascots are generally reserved for more down-to-earth areas, but a golden eagle is nonetheless fit for fashion.
As we already explained in our article about shapes in logos, repeated horizontal lines emphasize stability and balance. Combined with the symbolism of the eagle and the black, we obtain a visual identity full of strength and almost aggressive, which suits the Armani clientele who seek a certain elitism.
Again, using the brand’s full name, in a black serif font, is enough to bring out the fashionable side of the brand.
Mau Miu
Miu took a slight step backwards from other fashion logos and produced something quite original, which is perfect for a creative industry like fashion. Like other logos, they opted for a logo with their name, in black color. But the similarities end there.
First, Miu chose a sans serif font, which instantly produced a brand with a more accessible and appealing image than other more exclusive brands. However, the genius of this logo lies in its curves: indeed, the human eye will naturally follow the lines, and the curves create a playful and relaxed image as straight lines and right or sharp angles.
On top of all that, the logo is in a rather stenciled style, resulting in a perfectly unique look, which sets it apart from its more staid competitors.
The North Face
Not all clothing brands have a fashion vocation. The North Face is a brand for outdoor athletes, for mountaineering and mountain disciplines, which produces, among other things, very thick and warm coats. But as a ready-to-wear brand, their logo follows the same rules as brands more focused on fashion and haute couture. The main one being that this logo must look good for printing on the products.
The North Face therefore has more leeway than high fashion brands, and this was fully utilized in the creation of the logo. A sans serif font was used and produced a casual and approachable (not fancy and exclusive) effect, to attract customers who are not so much interested in fashion as in having warm clothes.
Curves play a role in this very cool style as well. As explained above, the curves create a more whimsical imagination. The North Face experiences more color and abandons black a bit, which in the case of a simple and down to earth brand, would be counterintuitive.
Prada
The Prada logo is interesting in the sense that it is an example in the world of fashion: it indeed knows how to balance tradition with exits from the frame.
Now you can recognize some of the essentials of fashion logos: black, a serif font, and a logo centered on the brand name. But the fashion industry comes with a certain creativity as well as the art of breaking the rules, which allows the Prada logo to take a few liberties to create a unique and innovative logo. For example, the serif font’s strokes are pointed, and there is a minimum of curves, which gives a cubic and a bit rough feel so that the mark looks strong and confident.
The little extra on the R didn’t cost much and is very well placed. We often find in logos (all fields combined) unique variations on one of the letters, which reinforces the effectiveness of that logo and improves brand recognition (as we mentioned in our guide to logos of tech, for example with the A of the Samsung logo, or the E of Dell).
Versace
Much like Armani, Versace picked the trends in fashion logos and chose which ones the brand was going to follow or not. The logo uses the brand name in black lettering, but prefers a simple sans serif font, with a fill, rather than something more worked out.
To compensate, however, the brand occasionally uses a very elaborate pictorial logo, one of the few in the world of fashion and luxury. Both versions of the logo (the statue face and the angled pattern in the frame) imprint something reminiscent of classic Greek style, which in essence gives the brand a timeless feel.
Ray ban
Much like The North Face, Ray Ban does not depend on the same rules as luxury and haute couture brands (although one might doubt that when looking at their prices). Ray Ban specializes in sunglasses mainly, so they don’t need to worry about giving an impression of exclusivity or sophistication like haute couture.
This allows them to use handwritten style typography, with a very cool, relaxed effect, almost like a signature. They then reach a very large audience, from lovers of fashion and luxury to people who would not be interested at all in this world.
Ralph Lauren
Of all the logos, across all industries, few have been as successful as the Ralph Lauren polo player. The simple icon, embroidered on a t-shirt, is not only recognizable at a glance by the majority of buyers, but has established itself as a symbol of a certain status and identity: it is the purpose of any logo.
Through decades of strong branding, Ralph Lauren has made it possible for its logo to accurately represent the relaxed, luxe style that its customers seek. Anyone who buys a Ralph Lauren polo shirt therefore shares this coveted identity, which ensures stable sales and the acquisition of new customers on a regular basis. Obviously, this type of success takes consistency and time, not to mention a logo that stands out.
Apart from their mascot player, Ralph Lauren has created his logo according to the rules of the art. Although the logo calls for exposure of the brand name, it was designed in a formal and chic, often black, font.
Chanel
A force in the modern fashion industry, Chanel is still an authority figure in fashion, marketing and branding to this day. Coco Chanel herself popularized the idea of exclusivity as a marketing tool, with pricing designed so that the brand was only accessible to some, necessarily provoking envy in others.
As well as being a pioneer in modern fashion sophistication, the Chanel logo eschews elite trends from other brands. Instead, the brand used a simple sans serif font with nice curves. However, the bold and black font, along with the heavy lettering, retains an exclusive edge to this look, allowing the brand to achieve the ideal balance between the two.
What really allows the Chanel logo to shine in this way is the mix between a pictorial logo and a monogram. The use of curves creates a hypnotic effect that draws the observer’s gaze to the heart of the design, while the brand name is highlighted by the two C’s (from Coco Chanel). This not only catches the eye of potential buyers and entices them to buy, but it also prints the image in the minds of customers, for later.
3 Expert Tips For Creating A Fashion Logo
You want to design a logo for your brand in the field of fashion. No matter your style or the audience you want to attract, these three tips will help you customize your logo to perfectly match your brand identity anyway.
Let The Typography Do Its Job
As we saw in our top 10 fashion logos, most brands in the industry choose a logo centered on their name, or monogram. Sometimes a pictorial logo wins the bet (like Armani or Ralph Lauren) but in general, text logos are best used for fashion. Why? When an image risks distracting the public’s eye from the products sold, a clean logo with lettering or a name allows the collection to show off.
However, this choice will leave you less leeway to communicate your style and you will be limited to graphic elements like typography and color palette to showcase your brand’s personality. This is why these decisions are crucial.
The typography you choose (font, letter size, and any other stylistic choices, like a slant on a Louis Vuitton letter), can expose your brand’s personality to customers and help you reach your audience. Target. Choose carefully, and never forget your target customers throughout the creation process.
One of the first typographical decisions to be made will be whether to choose a serif or serif font. It is a basic choice, which will determine the basic strategy of your brand. In short, the serif will be reserved for a high-end, sophisticated brand, and the sans serif for an accessible and friendly brand.
Stick To One Color
Although in other industries, brands use color palettes (two or three colors in a theme), brands in the fashion world tend towards monochrome and to move away from logos with pictorial representation: nothing should distract the potential consumer from products and clothing. And because color has such a central place in clothing, the use of a multicolored logo will shift the attention of the beholder and sometimes, may also conflict with the clothing collection or accessories.
It is for this reason that fashion logos generally prefer monochrome, and this unique color often tends to be black. It is no coincidence either: black goes with everything, and this makes it the iconic color of the fashion industry; hence the expression in English to designate an unavoidable trend: we will say that it is “the new black”!
However, you are free to use the color that best matches your brand. If your entire line is black, you can turn to gray or white to improve the visibility of the logo. Alternatively, you can also choose a particular color that will represent your brand and stick to your skin. For example, the H&M and Union brands have chosen red in their communication strategy. It is interesting to note here that red is the second most eye-catching color after black.
Curves Are Invitations
Beyond the typographic choice (with or without serif?), you will also have to choose the balance between curves and straight lines in your textual logo.
The idea is this: the straight lines and sharp angles emphasize stability, strength, and seriousness while the curves instead denote a playful personality, inclusion, and sympathy. Depending on your brand identity, you will need to strike a balance between seriousness and lightness.
If you are developing an exclusive, luxury line, you will need a minimum of curves: look at the curved inclusions of the Prada logo: they are parked in the P, R, and D. But if your brand wants to be accessible, s’ addressing everyone, you can base the typography on more curves as The North Face does.
Of course, most brands will choose a path between the two, personalized to fit their identity specifically. That’s why we encourage you to be creative. Incorporate the right amount of curved lines to match your logo to your needs.
How To Create A Fashion Logo
Now that you have a clearer idea of what makes a good and effective logo for a fashion brand, the question is: how do you create your own? In short, you have two options. Either hire a professional graphic designer or design it yourself. Both choices have their pros and cons, so your best bet is to consider them separately.
Fashion Logo Ideas To Make Your Own Fashion Brand Logo
Recruit A Graphic Designer
Professional graphic designers know all the techniques, tips, and tricks by heart, of the kind we mentioned above. When you hire a graphic designer, whether he or she is freelance or part of an agency, you buy their expertise as well as their time.
The problem is, none of these seasoned professionals will work for free. The main downside to this option is its cost – talented graphic designers can charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for a logo design.
You will be able to find cheaper alternatives on sites like Fiverr, but these kinds of sites are not known to be serious and many former Fiverr customers feel like they have been ripped off. The standard price for a professional graphic designer logo is around 250 euros, so if someone charges you 5 euros, you are right to find that weird!
Plus, even if you have the budget to spare, it can be difficult to find the right designer for you. The graphics business is creative, so there is an incredible number of different styles. You need to make sure that the person you hire will understand your vision and be able to bring it to life, but it may take a while.
Create Your Own Logo
If you don’t have the budget for a logo, don’t worry. If you thought you had limited options, technology has advanced such that anyone can design their own logo, using an online logo maker tool, like others.
In our digital age, creative software allows you to focus on ideas and less on the pencil stroke. No need to master the brush or the shading, no need to have a precise line either! With online logo design services and tools, all you need is an idea.
Others, like other online authoring tools, uses templates to make creating something quick and easy, even for beginners. First, you select your domain from the drop-down menu.
We have categorized our models according to the needs and requirements of major industries; finding yours is therefore the first step. Our algorithm will then generate the best choices targeted to your field of activity.
Choose the model you like and start editing. You can customize each template however you like, along with your choices for:
The main images
the name of the company and its slogan
the font and typography
the color palettes
the text and the size of the images
the placement of the text and the image
Add new icons
Overlay different layers in an order particular
You can choose from our library of over 200 icons. A quick glance will show you that there are more than enough visuals, like the ones we were able to quote above.
By using a DIY logo maker like others, you are able to create a professional looking logo in just a few minutes. Once complete, you can then purchase all permissions and the commercial use license for $ 24.90, which gives you that graphic for life.
If the logo maker and its series of templates work well even for beginners, you will get better results by reviewing your graphic basics first. Continue reading our blog to find all our graphic design tips, given by expert graphic designers themselves.
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