Sometimes Always and Estúdio Daó combine to boldly brand Los Angelian book store Reparations Club

In partnership with São Paulo-based studio Estúdio Daó, Marseille-based design studio Sometimes Always have created the identity, website, and printed matter for Los Angelian concept bookstore Reparations Club – a Black and women-owned store that celebrates the cultural creations and literature of BIPOC individuals. Sometimes Always and Estúdio Daó faced the challenge of crafting an identity that is, importantly, contemporary but historically referential; making sure they understood the racial issues felt specifically in the United States. With a resulting brand that is respectful but not dry, the duo have succeeded in balancing the sincerity of the context without undermining its impact; producing a typographically led brand that is graphically blazen, conceptually driven and unavoidably cool. Referencing the typefaces found within their historical research, Sometimes Always and Estúdio Daó opted for Newlyn’s New Spirit Condensed alongside Franklin Gothic – in doing so creating a beautiful typographic contrast that is not only striking in its construction, but also equally representative of Reparations Club’s break from the norm, and the forming of their own convention.