Creative collaborations always inspire and teach me things, and ones that allow me to employ my graphic design skills in the way of custom logo work are particularly satisfying. It’s rewarding to work with small business owners to take an idea to the next level and do something fun and unexpected. Last year, my go-to hair stylist, Miste Hart, was planning the expansion and relocation of her successful hair salon, Rebel Rebel, to a larger, renovated space in Oceanside. Rebel Rebel is a salon with a distinct rock ‘n’ roll vibe that is playfully mixed with a sophisticated and modern aesthetic evident in the décor and various products for sale, as well as in the hair styling and treatments its customers enjoy. A short time before her move, Miste and I had discussed the possibility of working together on a project that would introduce some custom items to her shop—possibly something custom and for fun. Miste came up with the idea to have me rework the Rebel Rebel logo (just for this project) into one that mimicked the very well-known Iron Maiden logo, with its distinctively geometric slants, sharp corners and bright red letters with thick white outlines. Miste selected the items she wanted the special custom logo treatment to appear on, and this included black t-shirts, tank tops and beverage holders.
Once we finalized the logo and all related details, each custom item was printed in a limited production run and the final products made it to the salon in plenty of time for the grand reopening party. Friends, family and customers alike grabbed up the Iron Maiden-inspired pieces and they were gone not long after the special event. Rebel Rebel is not just a hair salon, but also a unique small business that values community and the celebration art, design and creativity in general.
