Logo Development

At the end of 2018 it was time to develop a logo for FITTED Underground. Some elements of the logo I felt clear about: that it represent Brooklyn, and that the image be bold, powerful, and unexpected - like the original idea for FITTED itself.

As I looked at iconic images, I happened upon the outline of Brooklyn. Much to my surprise, I immediately saw a dragon. That certainly was unexpected, but it was also so obvious I had to explore it further.

I hit up Kris Chu of Swell, my good friend who is a talented graphic designer / photo editor / creative, and asked for his help. Happily he jumped onboard.

Kris originally sent me this incredible rendition. I was impressed with his ability to bring an image to life with power and purpose.

As a logo, however, the image needed to be simplified. So Kris sent over a spread of 5 versions, from most detailed on the right to progressively simplified and map-like on the left.

The second image from the left immediately caught my attention. The eye evoked strength and focus with a simple brush stroke. It was the foundation of the minimalist image we would create.

The next step was to rationalize the internal lines in the image. After sending him a mockup, he sent back this perfectly executed image.

The image was deceptively simple. The lines were unevenly weighted like a Zen ink drawing; the wings were expansive; the neck evoked strength; and the feathers and scales were virtually identical details that depicted different images.

Of course, I pushed my luck and asked Kris if he thought we should include an arm to balance the composition, and he quickly drafted this updated image.

While we both liked the arm, in the end we decided that the goal was to render the Brooklyn Dragon with as few lines as possible, and the previous image did that very well. Keep it simple, keep it abstract.

Now the challenge is to continue making amazing jeans, provide excellent service and pour positive associations into the image again and again and again.

Kris, thank you for your incredible work!