There's been a graphic shake-up at YMC. The significant UK label has gained a new logo for its capsule collection, launching this week. The cube-shaped logo, rendered in shades of grey, appears on each piece, including t-shirts, socks, coach jackets and bucket hats. It's a bold move for the label, which has ‘consciously avoided' emphasising logos in the past, says co-founder Jimmy Collins.
But, in a time of forced disconnection, YMC looked to a friendly face to work on the project, as a way of introducing a revitalised energy. Family friend Pref, a British graphic artist working in typography and graffiti, has been known to the brand since childhood. He used the YMC (You Must Create) wording to inspire the logo's design.
‘The unique combination of characters and words in the brand names and slogans gave me an opportunity to create something new with my style,' he explains. ‘Each varying combination of letters offers different visual possibilities. My final aim is to create something that is technical and innovative but at the same time legible, simple and concise.'
While 2020 is now known universally as a year of (not so great) surprises, YMC has relievingly provided us with its familiar, punk-ish and London-centric feel throughout the capsule, with the rejuvenated logo marking the biggest shift.
All involved put the project's success down to the neighbourly, collaborative tone of the partnership. ‘Working with Pref has been a collision of worlds in many ways,' says Collins. ‘His work with typography, strong words and humour was the reason we approached him.'
Pref agrees: ‘It's important to curate the right artist/brand with the right style and ethos, more than anything else – once that’s done the rest of process should take care of itself. Each side of the collaboration must compliment the other and feel free to do what it is they do without being hindered. A successful collaboration should make it possible to stretch beyond what might normally be possible for each of the parties on their own.'
creating the logo design
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