Schwarzwald's
Finest
Graphic Design + Visual Identity
Schwarzwald’s Finest is a men’s fashion retailer based in the Black Forest region of Germany, offering a curated selection of streetwear, outdoor apparel, camping gear, and even housing a bespoke barbershop within the store. The brand has already built a strong online presence and community, but they were seeking a visual identity refresh to better reflect their growing audience and modernise their image.
Creative Decision Making
Design Vision
The goal of this rebranding was to create an identity that captured the essence of the store’s diverse product range, from streetwear to outdoor gear, while drawing inspiration from the rugged beauty of the Black Forest. The design needed to strike a balance between the practical, nature-driven spirit of the outdoors and the cool, modern vibe of urban streetwear. Influences came from workwear fashion, retro car branding, and vintage motor culture—ideal for the "dapper dads," outdoor enthusiasts, and well-groomed, hard-working individuals the brand serves.
Icon Design
We developed a custom monogram for the logo that doubles as a pine tree, symbolising the Black Forest itself. The minimalist tree design incorporated into the "SF" monogram provided a harmonious blend of nature and modernity. The negative space of the "S" subtly forms the tree, while the symmetrical design creates a striking, balanced look that feels both contemporary and iconic.
Typography
For the typography, we selected two all-caps sans serif fonts with complementary qualities: one clean and modern, the other rough and textured. This contrast adds depth to the design while keeping it minimalist. The result is a sophisticated typographic wordmark that stands strong on its own or in combination with the icon.
Colour Palette
The original black-and-white palette was kept but evolved with a more rugged, industrial cast iron black and a soft, off-white reminiscent of timber. These shades are complemented by forest green and rapid river blue, reflecting the brand’s deep connection to the natural world. The palette is bold, yet earthy, evoking the outdoor lifestyle while adding a pop of energy with the accent colours.
Brand Elements
The circular icon was designed to work as a versatile stamp, whether in red, blue, or black, and could be easily applied to merchandise, signage, and promotional materials. This simple overlay technique added a fresh dimension to print assets and helped elevate the brand’s overall look. The tree icon was also isolated and used as a standalone graphic, ideal for layering in different brand applications.
The goal of this rebranding was to create an identity that captured the essence of the store’s diverse product range, from streetwear to outdoor gear, while drawing inspiration from the rugged beauty of the Black Forest. The design needed to strike a balance between the practical, nature-driven spirit of the outdoors and the cool, modern vibe of urban streetwear. Influences came from workwear fashion, retro car branding, and vintage motor culture—ideal for the "dapper dads," outdoor enthusiasts, and well-groomed, hard-working individuals the brand serves.
We developed a custom monogram for the logo that doubles as a pine tree, symbolising the Black Forest itself. The minimalist tree design incorporated into the "SF" monogram provided a harmonious blend of nature and modernity. The negative space of the "S" subtly forms the tree, while the symmetrical design creates a striking, balanced look that feels both contemporary and iconic.
For the typography, we selected two all-caps sans serif fonts with complementary qualities: one clean and modern, the other rough and textured. This contrast adds depth to the design while keeping it minimalist. The result is a sophisticated typographic wordmark that stands strong on its own or in combination with the icon.
The original black-and-white palette was kept but evolved with a more rugged, industrial cast iron black and a soft, off-white reminiscent of timber. These shades are complemented by forest green and rapid river blue, reflecting the brand’s deep connection to the natural world. The palette is bold, yet earthy, evoking the outdoor lifestyle while adding a pop of energy with the accent colours.
The circular icon was designed to work as a versatile stamp, whether in red, blue, or black, and could be easily applied to merchandise, signage, and promotional materials. This simple overlay technique added a fresh dimension to print assets and helped elevate the brand’s overall look. The tree icon was also isolated and used as a standalone graphic, ideal for layering in different brand applications.
Implementation
The new branding was applied across a variety of materials, from plain white T-shirts and stickers to shop window decals, creating a unified, consistent look that reflected Schwarzwald’s Finest across all touchpoints. The responsive logo suite ensured that the business could use the logo in multiple formats, adapting it to various marketing and promotional materials as needed. The brand rollout began with a photoshoot for their new product line, followed by a revamped shop interior and a launch event to introduce the fresh look. Local partnerships helped spread the word about the rebrand and its new campaign.
The new branding was applied across a variety of materials, from plain white T-shirts and stickers to shop window decals, creating a unified, consistent look that reflected Schwarzwald’s Finest across all touchpoints. The responsive logo suite ensured that the business could use the logo in multiple formats, adapting it to various marketing and promotional materials as needed. The brand rollout began with a photoshoot for their new product line, followed by a revamped shop interior and a launch event to introduce the fresh look. Local partnerships helped spread the word about the rebrand and its new campaign.
Results
The rebranding successfully reinvigorated both the store and the website, giving the business the confidence and credibility needed for the next phase of growth. The new visual identity elevated the brand’s online presence and resonated strongly with their local audience. The clients were thrilled with the results, particularly how well the new design resonated with their customers, and we thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with them on this project.
Conclusion
This project serves as a great example of the power of effective collaboration. The client provided clear communication and trusted our expertise, which was essential in redesigning a brand that was already close to being on point. The challenge was to refine and fine-tune the identity to better align with their audience, and through thorough research and a strategic design process, we created a visual identity that not only meets but exceeds their expectations. We’re excited to see how the new look continues to elevate their business and look forward to seeing the success of their new campaigns.
The rebranding successfully reinvigorated both the store and the website, giving the business the confidence and credibility needed for the next phase of growth. The new visual identity elevated the brand’s online presence and resonated strongly with their local audience. The clients were thrilled with the results, particularly how well the new design resonated with their customers, and we thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with them on this project.
This project serves as a great example of the power of effective collaboration. The client provided clear communication and trusted our expertise, which was essential in redesigning a brand that was already close to being on point. The challenge was to refine and fine-tune the identity to better align with their audience, and through thorough research and a strategic design process, we created a visual identity that not only meets but exceeds their expectations. We’re excited to see how the new look continues to elevate their business and look forward to seeing the success of their new campaigns.
