Chanel is one of the few houses whose typographic identity has barely changed in a century. Its signature in sans serif capitals was modern ahead of its time.
The typefaces
The CHANEL logotype is set in heavy, widely spaced sans serif capitals, in a design specific to the house. The interlocking double C monogram appeared in the 1920s; the house credits Gabrielle Chanel with its creation, although its exact origin is debated. It appears on the perfume bottle, then on buttons, jewellery and bags.
The system
The system is remarkably economical: black and white, a logotype, a monogram and plenty of space. The generous spacing between letters gives the name its breathing room and presence.
Why it works
A clean sans serif in the 1920s already expressed the modernity of Gabrielle Chanel, who freed the female silhouette. When many houses simplified their logos into sans serifs in the 2010s, Chanel had nothing to change: it had anticipated the movement by almost a century.
What a brand can learn from it
A simple, radical form stands the test of time better than a fashionable one. Spacing is a luxury tool in its own right. A strong monogram lets a brand exist even without its name.
Read also: Sans serif, Geometric sans, Tracking, Letter spacing, Minimalism, Modernism