Present Tense for Crane Brothers AW26
Shot by @guycoombes , winter tailoring is caught mid-movement alongside Martino Gamper seating. We used the chairs every which way, except what they’re made for: sitting. Cropping and rotation brings a sense of disorientation, and the very real possibility of falling over.
Lovely seeing it out there in real paper and paste. Case study imagery in its full, un-retouched glory, just a little grading!
Martino Gamper, Sliced Paua Chair 01, 2011
Martino Gamper, Sliced Paua Chair 02, 2011
Courtesy of @martinogamper & @lettthomasgallery
Design & creative direction: Present Tense (Liam Ooi @_liamooi & Abbey Luong @abbe.xyz )
Photography: Guy Coombes Talent: Oliver Bartha Styling: Chris Vovan Assist: Theo Richards
Present Tense for Crane Brothers
A simplified wordmark and logo architecture sits at the heart of our refined brand expression for @cranebrothers . We consolidated a range of lock-ups and removed the italic serif, to achieve a more singular, assertive visual presence.
The previous type was based on the familiar (and often maligned) Brandon Grotesque. However, the sharpened corners reveal a geometric skeleton, channelling historical classics like Futura and Super Grotesk — visual cues that still made sense and were well worth retaining.
In extending this same treatment to the ‘Est. 1999’ typography, we looked towards the numerals within Brandon Grotesque. They proved not so useful — featuring a less formal construction that was anachronistic to the geometry we were after. Drawing from the sheer crispness within the ‘Crane Brothers’ letterforms, the ‘1999’ was instead custom-drawn to follow a more Renner-esque model: flat terminals that sit flush to the baseline, and an understated flagged ‘1’.
The sorts of details that matter, when so many applications rely on making the logo bigger…
Present Tense for Crane Brothers
Late last year we quietly pushed live a new website for @cranebrothers . It represents a significant moment in our year-long collaboration, as we have slowly given a fresh perspective to almost every single touchpoint of the business. Our new design system is highly modular and a true celebration of colour and form. No stone has been left unturned, with refreshed garment imagery, a powerful headless build, and a significantly overhauled enquiry and consultation system. Confidently shifting away from a purely transactional e-commerce model towards an experience that puts brand and service at the forefront — the foundation of how Crane Brothers lives and breathes. There’s still lots of learning and refinement to come, but it’s a significant moment in our partnership and we’re thankful to @murraycrane for never choosing the safe or expected path. You don’t surpass 40 years in the rag trade by sitting still. Design & creative direction: Present Tense (@_liamooi , @joeasmoore ) Development & advisory: @bestiestudios_ (Celine Giovanni & Jeffrey Roulston) E-commerce Photography: @shuanglinphoto Campaign Photography: @meighan_ellis , @hollysarahburgess for @veil_magazine SEO & Digital Management: @franklyanalytics (Alex Jordan)
Typeset entirely in American Grotesk by @klim_type_foundry
Present Tense for The Arts Foundation
Te Tumu Toi
We recently partnered with @brownbreadnz and @theartsnz on one of New Zealand’s most ambitious (and successful!) arts campaigns yet.
The ‘Supernova’ concept immediately conjured impact, creation, and something huge emerging from a small spark: a true reflection of the exponential power of a $25 donation. A high energy burst of colour and excitement brought this uplifting call to life, as we looked to launch ten of our brightest young artists into the stratosphere.
Fundraising campaigns take all the mahi! And graphic design is just one small piece of that puzzle. Thanks to all the much more talented hands that led the call to raise an unreal $250,000 for our up-and-coming artists!
Creative direction & design: Present Tense Implementation (and everything else!): Brown Bread
Typeface: Söhne Kräftig by @klim_type_foundry
By @_liamooi
Crane Brothers has been the go-to luxury shop for men’s tailoring in New Zealand for 25 years. But their spirit is not contained by just the world of tailoring – they’re playful, and like to have a bit of fun. For as long as Crane Brothers has been online, they’ve published a digital Dispatch, Designer Liam Ooi tells us. “Succinctly described as “irregular musings from the Crane Brothers team” it offers an irreverent and infrequent catch-up on happenings and goings-on. Often, its content has little to do with clothing,” says Ooi.
Keep reading and find out more at our link in bio.
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CREDITS
Graphic Design: @_liamooi
Typography: American Grotesk by @klim_type_foundry
Dispatch Issue 01: How to fold a Paper Crane with Crane Brothers
Offset printed on a single B2 sheet in two spot colours, a kaleidoscopic graphic transforms into a series of nested origami patterns, with trim marks printed on the reverse. An edition of 1,000 allows customers to help fold 1,000 paper cranes of many sizes — a wish for longevity and prosperity as @cranebrothers enter another 25 years of contemporary tailoring. With every mindful fold, it embodies the patience, precision, and attention to detail that Crane Brothers have cultivated over the years. Ft. the salient American Grotesk in medium and bold by @klim_type_foundry
Design can be so serious, intangible and risk-averse. It was rejuvenating to design with humour, tactility and daring. Thank you to @murraycrane for putting your trust in what started as a weird shower thought. And a special mention to @paulphanoulas for the generous recommendation.
Proudly, provocatively Crane Brothers. Excited to see what the future unfolds…
Some bézier curve therapy on Pelegrine’s upright over the last few months — soon back to italics and reassessing the spacing from scratch 🥲
Inspired by @counter__forms commitment to Christoph Koeberlin’s Latin M glyph set, supporting many under represented languages that use Latin writing systems. Language drives culture which drives identity.
And don’t forget to vote and tax the mega rich! ✅✅
Modern Life From High Above. Designed at the end of 2021 and featuring 50 poems by @jackpagemusic and @mr_suit_music — thank you for trusting me with your words.
The staggered layout was a small nod to the interplay of their voices. Very stripped back, not even page numbers!
Typeset entirely in Signifier Regular by @klim_type_foundry and accompanied by some lovely illustrations by @tilessmiles .
Printed in Ōtautahi by @spectrumprint_nz . Screened white on Colorplan Brown, internals on Eco100.
It’s been a while since I’ve shared any type, but things slowly creep forward. Six (sporadic) years and counting…
Primarily inspired by the smaller sizes of Romana Artistica, Pelegrine (WIP) has taken a few twists and turns but is eventually revealing itself.
#typedesign
