07/24/2026
A logo can absolutely be clean, simple, and type-driven. Not every brand needs a symbol, mascot, or elaborate visual system packed into the mark itself. A well-crafted wordmark can be iconic.
But when so many brands started hopping on the same stripped-down, sans-serif bandwagon, the cumulative effect became hard to ignore. This was especially noticeable in the high-fashion world.
Simplicity and restraint are one thing. Sameness and the loss of distinction are another.
When enough brands shed their quirks, history, and visual specificity in pursuit of “clean,” the marketplace started to feel like a generic, lowest-common-denominator hellscape. What may feel refined in isolation can feel anonymous in a broader context.
At a certain point, you stop seeing individual brands and start seeing the same message over and over:
Conform. Simplify. Blend in. Obey.
This week's target: Yves Saint Laurent.