THE NEW BRANDING OF LA MARQUEUSE - DESIGN DRIVEN BY MEANING

It is a creative process whose roots reach back to the masters of previous eras, whose results are oriented towards a long-term horizon, and which emerges from a considered, linear creative process. Craft is the opposite of impermanence and distraction.

A good emblem should carry the emotions and values of a brand. La Marqueuse is defined by an approach that unites jewellery history and tradition with innovative, contemporary design. That was my starting point: to create an emblem that is ultra-modern in its form, whilst remaining deeply rooted in tradition.

The inspiration behind the signet was the symbolism of Polish hallmark stamps, particularly those from the interwar period. These are the marks placed on jewellery pieces to indicate the proportion of precious metal in the alloy. In Poland during the 1920s and 1930s, they were characterised by a richness of symbolic language and compositional sophistication. I was particularly drawn to the elliptical and trapezoidal frames surrounding the stamps, and to the ways in which letters and illustrations were composed within them. I was also guided by the idea of distilling the rather lengthy name La Marqueuse into three letters, creating the brand's initials, easy to remember and beautiful in form. And so the idea for the "LMQ" signet was born.

The logotype, the lettering of "La Marqueuse", is based on a typeface that bridges past and present. The high contrast of the letterforms, their proportions, and the characteristic serifs are all hallmarks of Renaissance typography. The use of geometric curves and a high degree of legibility are, in turn, characteristic of Modernist lettering. In the logo design, the guiding idea was once again a fusion of what once was with what now is.

The initial concept was refined through several rounds of design, during which I attended carefully to proportions, contrast, and the spacing between elements. We tested the reproduction of the mark across various media and using different techniques. The studio Hugmun, which works on the brand's printed materials, assisted us in this process.

Thus emerged the minimalist, timeless emblem that, as the face of the brand, signs both its products and the work of the Maison.

A logo is only one element of a much larger puzzle. In developing the visual identity of La Marqueuse, I took care to design and standardise many components of the brand's visual language, including logo placement within layouts, typography, colour palette, and the composition of advertising formats. A multi-page document was also produced describing the approach to product photography, since it is the product image that stands as one of the most important elements of communication, affirming the exceptional quality of the pieces.

Work on the core documentation and the implementation of the new communication system took several months, and the logo was merely the tip of the iceberg. This work never really ends! In close collaboration with La Marqueuse Art Director Marlena Jabłońska, we continually ensure that the system remains coherent, and that, within that consistency, it adapts flexibly and creatively to new photographic and video materials.

Good question! It is the products of La Marqueuse that define the spirit of the brand, and so, in this case, particularly, the visual identity must take a supporting role. I treated it as a transparent glass vessel, one that does not obstruct, but gives form to what it holds, allowing everything within to come through.

The brand's visual language is characterised by a minimal use of stylistic devices, so that photography and video may occupy the foreground. This guiding principle informed an entire range of stylistic choices: a sans-serif, Modernist typography, a restrained use of colour, generous breathing space, and white as the most essential element of the composition. I had to continually rein in my own impulses and let go of elements that added nothing of substance, serving only as decoration.

Less is more. I believe that a finished, successful design is one from which nothing further can be removed, in which every superfluous element has been set aside in favour of those that are meaningful and essential.

I consciously chose to forego ornament, all graphic forms that contribute no meaning to the design and serve only as decoration. One significant temptation I resisted was the introduction of a decorative serif typeface into the brand's communication, one that might have taken the viewer on a journey through time, drawing on the history of lettering. I was also tempted to expand the colour palette and make more generous use of the brand's deep green throughout. All of this would have been visually striking, but over a longer period of time, considerably more difficult to apply with consistency across the brand's communication. In retrospect, I believe the decisions we made were the right ones.

For me personally, what mattered most was that the brand identity should reflect the character of its founder. Urszula Dmowska-Gęsiorek, the founder and jewellery designer of La Marqueuse, is, in my view, a truly inspiring person of remarkable professional integrity who has devoted her life to the pursuit of mastery in her craft. I have the greatest admiration for this. It was important to me to create for Urszula a visual framework for her brand, one that reflects the quality of what it offers, and that can stand confidently alongside the great jewellery houses of Europe.

From what I understand, Mrs. Urszula has formed a strong emotional attachment to the LMQ signet and is rather fond of it, which is, for me, a source of great satisfaction (laughter).