The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia by

Client: Xavier Garcia
Tags: Art Direction, Art Direction and Design, Brand Narrative, Campaign, Creative Direction in Production, Identity

Year: 2019

Design by Folch

Production by White Horse

 

4,501 views

Xavier Garcia is a unique, authentic Barcelona-based brand with personality. Ready to enter new fields, last year we developed a new identity for the eyewear designer, using photography and developing a clear art direction to add another layer to the brand language. This year, our ambition is to amplify the scope of their communications and bring Xavier Garcia even closer to the world of fashion. To do so we took their latest collection and created a sophisticated fashion editorial, complete with a newspaper-style campaign lookbook.

  • FOLCH - The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia

Subtraction is key

The new collection is an exercise in synthesis and simplicity, beyond contemporary trends, Xavier Garcia offers a new take on a set of archetypal models. With a focus on timeless elegance, precision, and refined craftsmanship, the new products are fresh yet reminiscent of the classic. The key to this change is subtraction. With the brand’s identity in a state of transformation, the art direction had to follow the same model.

The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH

Creating a story

The idea behind this fashion editorial was to give sense to the images, to build a story and a context around them and, in turn, to bring the products to life. The office theme provided us with a recognisable space, characterised by minimalist features, clean lines and uniformity. From this space we created an abstraction, selecting key elements, such as a single chair or stool designed by VITRA, as props for the set. This kept the environment clean and simple, while we generated a story around the models.

The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH
The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia | FOLCH

Of movement

The models were asked to act, connecting with each other and playing with the idea of movement within an otherwise still and sterile space. The models interact with the inanimate objects, creating a performative spark, a sense of dynamism within the workplace.

Muted tones

In keeping with the idea of subtraction, the colour palette for this collection is dramatically different from the bold, block colours of the previous photoshoot. We opted for plenty of white, mixed with warm, muted tones in blue, tan, beige and cream. The result is that the viewer focuses on the products themselves, which, being more clean and stark, needed to stand out within each frame.

  • FOLCH - The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia

From Italy to Barcelona

Among other things, the copy offers a homage to designer Bruno Munari who, famous for his sense of irony, launched in 1944 on the pages of Domus a clear provocation directed at the design world. The title ‘one comes home tired from having worked all day and finds an uncomfortable chair’ is abnormally long-winded and, as such, allowed Munari to create a story from his otherwise minimal content – a series of images of a man and an armchair.

Synthesis of imagery

Previously, there was a disconnect between the product shots and the models. Our ambition with this new editorial was to build a connection between the two. The same atrezzos -or props- appear in both the still life and fashion shoots, insinuating a link between the two series while the black and white images next to the use of colour continues to differentiate.

 

  • FOLCH - The office: an aspirational mood for Xavier Garcia

A sophisticated new look

The result is a unique lookbook in a daring newspaper format, communicating the brand’s transformation through subtraction in a clean, bold, authentic manner. The layout consists of full page images, pairing still life with editorial shots and emphasising a balance between telling the new story and showcasing the latest line of products in the best possible way, aligning everything with the governing principles of clarity and simplicity. The result is a perfect harmony between the new collection and the campaign.

Share
Art Direction, Art Direction and Design, Brand Narrative, Campaign, Creative Direction in Production, Identity. Xavier Garcia.