Pentagram has refreshed the visual identity for one of Brazil’s most iconic fashion brands, Melissa.

This is Pentagram's latest collaboration with the influential shoemaker, following two seasonal campaigns, the design of a special anniversary store in São Paulo and a new identity for their magazine, Plastic Dreams.

Starting life as a small village enterprise in 1979, the past four decades have seen the firm sell more than 32 million pairs of their extraordinary plastic shoes in countries across the globe. Melissa’s designs encompass a broad spectrum of styles, from simple sandals to extravagant sculptural wedges, and are worn by a huge part of the population in Brazil.

Melissa is famed for its collaborations, partnering with Zaha Hadid, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Campana Brothers and many others. A source of national pride among many Brazilians, the brand is renowned for its larger-than-life expression of the country’s festive and diverse culture.

Keeping the firm’s distinctive spirit at the heart of the refresh, Pentagram has introduced the brand idea of ‘looking at the world through the kaleidoscope of arts, fashion and design’—underscoring Melissa’s ongoing commitment to three fundamentals pillars of their DNA.

The modern brandmark devised by Pentagram employs the use of a graphic system that reflects the brand idea. It frames a series of bespoke patterns, textures and imagery—which alternate depending on context—and acts as a window to a wide variety of styles, moods and emotions. 

The graphic system also provides the mark with flexibility, allowing it to sit at the centre of Melissa’s communications activity across multiple channels. While the logotype retains its heritage, it has been redesigned with a contemporary and sophisticated finish, allowing Melissa to move beyond its teenage base and speak to a wider variety of audiences. 

This is complemented with a visual language that modernises Melissa’s aesthetic, introducing new colourways, textures, layouts and imagery styles that provide the brand with a vibrant and elegant feel. This visual language also provides the brand with a mechanism of signalling trends and styles creatively.

Alongside this, Pentagram has restructured Melissa’s brand architecture, redesigning their sub brands and redefining the relationships between each.

Special thanks to Joshua Davis and Črtomir Just who supplied supporting imagery for this case study.