Placeholder’s identity for Crown Affair stays true to the haircare brand’s ‘Take Your Time’ mantra

Sho Shibuya, the founder of Brooklyn-based design studio Placeholder, first met Dianna Cohen back in 2017 when working at travel company Away. They both joined the company in its early stages, developing a fruitful working relationship while collaborating on campaigns and co-branding projects such as the NBA x Away kit. After eventually going their separate ways and working on their own thing for a couple of years, Cohen got back in touch with Shibuya looking for help with a new project: a slow-paced haircare brand called Crown Affair. The pair took full advantage of their established collaborative process to identify a vision for Crown Affair, paying close attention to the artwork of Constantin Brâncusi and Ed Ruscha in particular. Using these references, as well as months of market research, they transformed a few sketches and product prototypes into a fully-functioning company. Its oils, towels, combs and brushes are thoughtful and well-made, acting as a counter to the fast-paced, highly-competitive beauty industry. Placeholder’s visual identity for the company is reflective of this approach, with bespoke paper packaging by Colophon and a custom font by Grilli Type both created with tactility and attention to detail in mind. The fully recyclable soft-green boxes and glass containers that house the products are designed to evoke tranquillity, perfectly capturing the brand’s ‘Take Your Time’ mantra.