When a brand deletes everything from its Instagram grid ahead of a big announcement, you can’t help but be intrigued. Made famous by Taylor Swift’s roll-out for her 2017 album Reputation, the stunt marks the end of an era and the beginning of another.
So when Australian fashion label Bassike did exactly that at the start of March, we paid attention. In the slow-fashion label’s 19 years, it’s not once changed up its logo or ethos. Following its mass social cull and subsequent teaser posts, Bassike finally revealed its new brand identity.
For the unacquainted, the change is small. Among other tweaks, the lowercase logo is now uppercase. Deborah Sams, Bassike’s co-founder and creative director, knows this, referring to it as a “refresh” rather than a rebrand. “Some people will notice it and others won’t,” she tells Broadsheet.
The itch for an update started about two years ago. “We just felt that it was time to really look at everything we were doing [to] make sure that we’re really leaning into our brand DNA,” Sams says. This meant refocusing back on what Bassike does best: timeless yet cool utility-driven pieces with a masculine edge, made from high quality materials. After almost two decades in operation, a clean slate was appealing.
Sams’s friend, artist Jonathan Zawada, designed Bassike’s original logo in 2006. It features a distinctive black dot which was retained in the new logo. “We really didn’t want to do something that was divisive for people and that was jarring, we wanted to look make it look like a streamlined transition,” Sams says.
So why have a rebrand – or even a refresh – if the change is so minor? Sams says she did explore designs that were strikingly different to what Bassike is known for, but “it just didn’t feel right”. Ultimately, she says, “Our brand DNA is so strong that I just don’t think it would have been right for us to really deviate from that too much.”
Melbourne design agency TRiC Studio headed up the refresh. Tristan Ceddia, its creative director, tells Broadsheet that the shift towards streamlined branding isn't about chasing trends. "It's about creating distinctive, timeless and adaptable identities that can stand strong in an increasingly digital world. Stripping back to essential elements sharpens brand recall and strengthens its presence," he says.
Within two weeks of Bassike’s new look, Neuw Denim also unveiled its updated brand identity. Working with acclaimed Stockholm design studio Ateljé Altmann (which is behind some branding work for Acne Studios, Toteme and Hermes), the Scandi-inspired Melbourne denim brand’s logo is all capped-up, and more bold and condensed than its predecessor.
Broadsheet’s group brand and design manager Ben Siero says the trend towards simpler, uppercase logos isn’t limited to Aussie brands. He points to labels like Balenciaga and Prada, both of which have reduced logo embellishments and streamlined their wordmarks in recent years.
Brands do this to feel “more modernised or to become relevant again”, he says. “In an era where trends shift rapidly, minimalism helps brands remain relevant and consistent over time.”
“Sometimes getting rid of all the excess is a way for a brand to show its confidence and credibility. The idea is that quality and product speak for themselves. They don’t need to be flashy. I think there’s also been a big push towards transparency, authenticity and honesty – and simplifying their brands can be seen as though they have nothing to hide.”
When Neuw first launched in 2009, it was at the height of the skinny jean craze. A lot has changed since then. One of the largest upheavals for the brand was the Covid pandemic, which saw a substantial number of staff move on and a new cohort of employees move in. Neuw’s creative director and co-founder Par Lundqvist called this a “regeneration” of the team.
Another byproduct of the pandemic was a shift in people’s views on work-life balance. “It felt like it was no longer about a balanced life and was more about a blended life,” Lundqvist tells Broadsheet. This, alongside a renewed focus on Neuw’s emerging youth demographic, led to a new brand identity that spotlights the “creative class”. Its new logo nods to its bohemian and alternative roots, with a compass motif complemented by coordinates.
Again, the rebrand is subtle. Though Lundqvist and his team felt like they wanted to do something “new and exciting,” Ateljé Altmann recommended leaning into an uncomplicated yet impactful wordmark. “They just said, ‘Don’t try to be something that you’re not,’” Lundqvist says.
Neuw has had at least half a dozen logo changes in its 16 years but Lundqvist is sure this one will stick. Reflecting on the previous designs, he says with hindsight, he would’ve changed less. “I feel like us finding our way has also led to where we are now … My appetite for change is done. I’m really happy with where we ended up and this is where I want to stay.”
It’s undeniable that the Australian fashion industry is struggling, and perhaps a refreshed brand identity provides some control in a largely unpredictable world. Siero says that logo changes can signal to markets that a brand isn’t “stuck in the past” and instead, they’re “innovative and ever-changing”. Businesses change and customers change, and relevance is fickle.
“It’s become quite a flooded market,” Sams says. “It’s quite important to redefine who you are and have a very strong vision with that to remain relevant. It’s important just to keep evolving.”
Ceddia says that "brand evolution [is] a necessity, not just an aesthetic decision". "A considered, reductive approach isn’t about minimalism for minimalism’s sake – it’s about distilling a brand to its purest, most effective form so it can move with confidence in a world where attention is fleeting and clarity is power."
Article was updated to include additional reporting.
