Madewell is an American brand of women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. This brand’s specialty is quality basic clothing in the medium-price category. The brand has managed to establish itself particularly well in the denim segment. Founded at the end of the 1930s, the brand only increased its popularity in the 2010s — 2020s.
Meaning and history
Madewell is a brand that was founded back in 1937 as a factory for the creation of clothing for workers in the state of Massachusetts. Initially, this factory produced only workwear: jeans, work jackets, and shoes. But after jeans became a casual wear item, the factory renamed itself as a youthwear brand. And to this day, the brand positioning has not changed.
Previously called Clifford & Wills, this brand was sold in 2000 with the intention of increasing sales. A little later, the brand J. Crew bought the rights to the name Madewell, a pre-existing workwear manufacturer founded in the 1930s. Since 2006, the Madewell brand has been used as a more modern interpretation of a larger player in the market, J. Crew.
Today Madewell is a chic selection of men’s and women’s clothing – from jeans and sweaters to outerwear and bags. The brand’s specialty is the classic cut and minimalist details. Designers choose restrained colors that are easy to combine both among themselves and with things from other brands, which makes Madewell an indispensable basic label for any fashionista.
What is Madewell?
Madewell is the name of an American manufacturer of women’s apparel and accessories that was founded back in 1937 but reached its greatest popularity after its purchase by J Crew in 2006. Madewell is aimed at a younger audience and is known for its minimalist comfort and Denim.
In terms of visual identity, Madewell is quite creative and elegant. The brand decided to use an interesting cursive font for its wordmark, unlike its competitors, which usually write their names in classy serifs, which look similar to each other.
???? – Today
The Madewell is a custom script lettering with unique shapes of the characters, making up a modern playful composition. The accents here are on the two letters “E”, which support the geometry of the “M” and the “W”. The Madewell logo can be seen in several interpretations: the primary black-on-white version; the white lettering on a solid black circle, and a colorful inscription on a transparent background.
Font and color
The fancy cursive lettering from the primary Madewell logo is set in a custom designer typeface which has somewhat in common with such commercial fonts as Aljameela, Thistails Font Duo, or Mildred, but with some significant modifications of the contours.
As for the color palette of the Madewell visual identity, its main version uses a timelessly elegant combination of black and white, which is a statement on its own, a symbol of the quality, style, and confidence of the brand.