La Raíz
About
La Raíz is a boutique wine importer bringing natural wines from Spain to D.C., Baltimore, and New York City. They strive to bring to market wines that represent the land and the stories of the artisans that grow and produce them. With a focus on tradition and care for ecosystems, La Raíz is committed to curating products that are cultivated through regenerative farming practices, and highlighting the wines in their purest, most natural form possible.
The Project
Full brand identity
Illustration
Packaging
Collateral
Website
Goals
This project required the wisdom of opposites. The founder wanted a minimal, contemporary look, but didn’t want to sacrifice expressiveness. She was set on incorporating illustrations of aspects of winemaking: amphoras in which some of her wines are aged, bottles, glasses, fruits, and plants. Our inspirations were Mediterranean landscapes, hand-painted tiles, jazz, and the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Our goal was to create an expressive, energetic brand with a minimalist foundation for a chic look that still had plenty of character and uniqueness.
The Brand
The founder knew right away she wanted a logo that featured custom, hand-drawn type to evoke a connection to human hands and the earth. For continuity, the illustrations took on the same aesthetic. Since we needed to balance contemporary minimalism with dynamic illustrations, my approach was to always have a crisp, airy layout with off-whites and plenty of negative space on which the illustrations could be layered and scattered as if they danced there way into the space.
I started by loosely sketching both the logo and the illustrations on the same canvas to capture an organic, layered effect. That sketch become the main visual reference point. The illustrations were a mix of cut-out-like shapes and line drawings with lots of texture. Combined with minimal, spacious layouts, they create plenty of contrast and a dynamic overall look.
