Commission Studio’s monochromatic and ever-evolving identity for DKNY

“Graphic and bold in its form, but tactile and sensuous in application, the DKNY logo aims to represent the conflicting sides of New York; caviar and pizza, limos and taxis, ball games and broadway,” explains Commission Studio. Under the designers’ watch, DKNY has been completely reimagined to create a more dynamic and contemporary look for the brand.

Using its strong connection with New York City, Commission, one of our Ones to Watch 2016, decided to focus on DKNY’s consumer and try to understand how she navigates the city, her desires and roles. Creating the visual metaphor of a road, a continuous ribbon is often used in conjunction with the logo, weaved through tags, invitations, shopping bags and other brand collateral.

Franklin Gothic was selected for the brand’s typeface due to its familiarity and the “distinct calligraphic idiosyncrasies.” Working closely with DKNY, Commission’s identity for the brand will evolve over time but this monochromatic canvas acts as a strong foundation for it to build upon and open a dialogue with its customer.

The identity has already been applied to the DKNY Spring 16 invitations, which acted as a platform to launch the new identity. Printed by Imprimerie du Marais, the invites use textural elements to allow the user to interact with them and feel part of the experience. The clean, crisp white against the soft black ribbon and ink is luxurious and strikes the perfect tone for the brand.