Fashion retailer SVRN (pronounced “Sovereign”) tasked Abbr. Projects with creating a story and identity in parallel with the construction of their new flagship store in Chicago.

The story is rooted in the idea that “garments are the great unsung storytellers of past, present, and future.”

Inspired by the premise of clothing as communication, and working in harmony with SVRN’s stark new physical space by Seoul-based architecture firm WGNB, we crafted a wordmark that is solid and unbreakable yet coiled with potential energy, simple yet constructed with careful geometry.

Months of concepting in collaboration with SVRN yielded a mark that speaks volumes, in hushed tones.

A customized font exclusive to the brand, SVRN Sans, followed suit, as did a new logomark, the components of which correspond to the acronym and the four-on-the-floor rhythmic pattern associated with Chicago house.

The new brand system is designed for adaptability and can be deployed with seriousness or irreverence.

The identity launched in a collaboration with Marni, standing strong while staying true to SVRN’s ethos, courtesy of Abbr. Projects: “Speak less, say more.”