How did Glasfurd & Walker translate myth into branding for Selene?

Selene is an Aegean bistro in Vancouver where the moon watches over every meal. Glasfurd & Walker named the restaurant and built its brand world around the Greek goddess Selene, but rather than retelling mythology literally, they created something more instinctive – an identity where the moon, the sea and the pull of tides flow through every detail. This was the fourth restaurant Glasfurd & Walker developed for Gaia Hospitality, following their work on AMA. The brief arrived as conversation rather than document: a new Greek bistro inspired by the Aegean, focused on seafood, with a lighter expression of Greek heritage. “They asked us to name the location and create the brand world – essentially, to ‘do our thing,’” Creative Director & Co-founder Phoebe Glasfurd explains. The name Selene became the anchor, but the goddess herself never appears directly. Instead, she’s suggested through atmosphere and material, felt rather than explained. A seven-foot moon sculpture marks the building’s heritage façade, its craters and profile catching light like a surreal, ancient emblem. To the left of the door, an illuminated pearl glows as another beacon, connecting the lunar mythology to the world beneath the waves. The moon sculpture began as an illustration by local artist Enterra – pearls, shells, eyes and moons that repeat throughout the restaurant as a visual thread. “We spent a long time searching for the right artist because we had a very specific style in mind,” Glasfurd notes. “When we discovered Enterra’s work, we knew immediately she was the right fit. Her illustrations are beautifully detailed, feminine and refined, with the exact balance of texture and subtlety we were looking for.” Transforming the illustration into architecture required close collaboration. A 3D visualisation team explored how the moon’s profile and facial features would work in form, then the piece was 3D printed and handed to the signage company, who developed its surface texture and finishing. “Every detail, from illustration to modelling to paint finish, was the result of close collaboration of our vendors,” Glasfurd adds. “The process was highly technical, but the outcome feels effortless: a striking emblem of Selene that is the hero of the entire brand world.”