Arc’teryx is the name of a Canadian fashion brand, established in 1989 under the name Rock Solid. The company specialised in the design and production of outdoor clothing for men and women and is considered to be one of the world’s leaders in its segment.
The today-famous Canadian brand of outdoor fashion, Arc’teryx, was established in 1989 by mountaineers in North Vancouver. It was a location at the foot of the North Shore Mountains, just minutes away from ski slopes and mountaineering trails. So no surprise, that the first specialization of the brand was the production of mountain equipment, such as harnesses for climbers.
The company’s office and manufacturing facility was originally located in the basement of a Vancouver home and for the first three years, the brand was called Rock Solid. With the change of the name to Arc’teryx in 1992, the line of the brand’s products was expanded.
Today Arc’teryx is one of the world’s leaders in the production of clothing for outdoor activities. The main principle of the brand is very direct: to produce only the best items. The brand does not allow itself to create mediocre clothes and present regular products to the market. Arc’teryx clothes, shoes, and gear always stand out from the rest of the range. And it is not only the design of the brand’s collections, which is outstanding but also the exceptional functionality, quality, and durability of all items designed. The company has always spent an exceptional amount of time and resources on the development and selection of materials, and their testing.
What is Arc’teryx?
Arc’teryx is a Canadian outerwear brand, which was founded in 1989 and started with the creation of climbing gear and backpacks. Today it is a brand that uses the latest and best technology. The brand designs collections in the luxury fashion segment.
As for the visual identity of the Canadian label, it is closely linked to the name of the brand. The unusual name and logo of Arc’teryx were inspired by the earliest known bird. Archaeopteryx is a vertebrate animal that had its wings formed. This is how it adapted to dangerous conditions to survive. The brand put this evolutionary process into its name, linking it to the design of clothing.
The badge, used by the luxury Canadian brand today, was created in 1991, which is quite unusual for such a progressive company. The logo of Arc’teryx is composed of a graphical part and an uppercase logotype set under it. Both elements of the visual identity are executed in plain black and placed on a transparent background. The graphical part of the logo depicts a stylized skeleton of Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird. The skeleton is executed in thin black lines and features a smaller size than the lettering under it. As for the text part of the badge, it is executed in a medium-weight custom typeface with sharp ends of the lines.
The uppercase inscription from the Arc’teryx primary logo is executed in a custom typeface with clean medium-weight letters and small sharp serifs on the ends of the bars. The inscription looks very elegant and delicate, but at the same time, each of the letters is very stable and self-sufficient. The custom font of the Arc’teryx logotype is pretty similar to ITC Elan and has some details resembling Liste Normal fonts.
The color palette of the Canadian outerwear fashion brand follows the traditions of the industry and only uses black lines for all of its elements. And this is why the logo of Arc’teryx did not need any changes since 1991 — it looks timeless, and will always be actual. Black is a color of style and elegance, which also represent the professionalism and expertise of any company using it for its visual identity.