Studio Moross’ Glitterbox rebrand is a maximalist ode to queer nightlife

Studio Moross were recently invited out to Ibiza, the home of Defected Record’s nightlife brand, Glitterbox. Founded by Simon Dunmore, Glitterbox’s inception came about in celebration of disco, house, and soul, maintaining a high energy and inclusive party atmosphere for all. Their parties blend performance art with music, a fact echoed in their latest design rollout from Studio Moross. Stepping away from the monochromatic and minimalist, Glitterbox now embraces the maximalist in its realignment with its heart. Studio Moross and Glitterbox’s XXX campaign became the creative theme for Glastonbury, NYC Pride, Brunch Electronik in Barcelona, Glasgow’s Galvanizer’s Yard, and London’s Drumsheds.

On the rebrand, Aries says: “The brand needed a direction and structure for the year, and we wanted to build them a set of tools so their in-house team could roll out new creative as and when it was needed.” Studded with bold colours, the new look simultaneously honours time and cultures past with its weathered yet vibrant look; like a snapshot of past and present. Focusing on a small set of brand rules, Glitterbox’s rebrand is has been stripped back and sharpened.

Studio Moross harks back to the visually rich brands of the 80s and 80s, like Fiorucci, “a brand that developed a huge archive of colourful design during its heyday”, says Aries. In communion with grit, texture, grain, and illustrative imagery, Glitterbox carries an ephemeral, blooming haze. The building blocks of the design system lie in Studio Moross’ key elements. Aries breaks them down: “Each guide included typographic treatments, image treatments, effects, colour guides, typefaces, and overarching textures/filters.” With these rootings, muses have been created to tell a different story. There are five, each named; The Waacker, The Pink Punk, The It Girl, The Lovers, and Playa del Pole. Using Dum Dum Studio’s Serial family, the typographic narrative is etched and distorted in a retro, lo-fi fashion. Dum Dum’s work uplifts the Glitterbox’s star slogan, ‘Made For The Dancefloor’, utilised as an anchor across event posters, social media, flyers, etc.

Another key element of Glitterbox’s rebrand is the vibrancy of its colouring. Each muse is drenched in a distinct colour palette, with a depth not lost in texture. Aries explains how they came to the colour richness: “We wanted these to be realised in camera as much as possible, so we shot those as seen with a pink cove and pink lighting.” The Studio Moross team used a green screen for ease of isolating visuals for live and global brand imagery, making their toolkit ready to go for Glitterbox to continue using. The final set-up included polycarbonate platforms, custom made by Ox Events. Aries breaks it down, explaining “For this shot, we rigged our camera below the platform with animated lighting effects. These shots were key to achieve site-specific overhead screen visuals for the club’s main room.”

Studio Moross brought in art director Fancy Shews! for casting and talent direction, across styling, hair, and makeup, alongside photographer Paul Perelka. Illustrator Mark Wardel also worked closely with Studio Moross to bring XXX to life. Project manager Bex Dowse says, “From that musical point of departure, you can see why the Waacker ended up being one of our Muses, and how the visual language of that particular brand guide is steeped in its intrinsic cultural references, but also how it fits into a contemporary expression of Glitterbox’s rebrand.” These muses aren’t just the faces of its rebrand. They can be seen offscreen, with depictions changing as residencies change. “It’s continued throughout the season as more of the team have flown out for their residencies as performers.” Each muse is dynamic, each with their own styles and characters. The Waacker, based around waacker Bagsy, shines in this campaign. The black and white close-up of outstretched hands is particularly striking, featuring Glitterbox’s magazine cut-out-esque logo in prime position.

Rounding off, Aries reflects: “Many of us on the shoot were queer and it was nice to have a couple days making something joyful together. I think maybe you can see that joy in the work.”