(Studio) Lotta Nieminen builds Cafuné’s identity from herbarium logic

Cafuné takes its name from the Portuguese word for brushing through a loved one’s hair – an intimate, unhurried gesture that speaks to the brand’s understanding of luxury as something felt rather than displayed. Founded in 2015 by lifelong friends Queenie Fan and Day Lau, the accessories label has built its reputation on pieces designed for longevity and emotional resonance. When the Hong Kong-based brand approached (Studio) Lotta Nieminen to refine its identity, the brief moved away from seasonal refresh cycles toward something more lasting: an adaptive toolkit that could evolve while maintaining coherence. The herbarium emerged as the conceptual anchor. During early conversations, Karl Blossfeldt’s botanical photography surfaced repeatedly – the German artist’s stark, sculptural images of plant forms had already found their way onto Cafuné’s moodboards. “His imagery felt like a natural direction for where the brand wanted to evolve, both visually and in its approach to accessory design,” explains Nieminen. The reference offered more than mere aesthetic guidance. Ideas of growth, movement and transformation could be woven throughout the system, creating what Nieminen describes as “a subtle sense of motion.” For Day Lau, Cafuné’s Co-founder & Managing Director, the connection ran deeper than visual appeal. “The herbarium felt like a natural metaphor for Cafuné as it visualises what we’ve always believed in – care, attention and intention, all the same qualities that define craftsmanship,” she reflects. “Whereas the botanical elements tells a story of organic growth and form, a constant inspiration in our designs.” The logotype anchors the identity with a custom variation of a typeface by Eliott Grunewald. Nieminen had been looking for the right project to use it, and Cafuné’s brief aligned perfectly with the typeface’s inherent qualities. “It already has this beautifully thorny quality, balanced by very round, soft curves, which aligned naturally with the idea of botanical growth,” she notes. The minimal contrast paired with decorative detailing gives the wordmark a distinctiveness that feels both expressive and restrained. Practical considerations shaped its final form: to ensure legibility when embossed across bags and hardware, Grunewald collaborated with the studio to soften the terminals just enough while preserving the intricacy that made the typeface such a strong fit.