De León Barbershop

What started as a referral for a logo became a full brand system. Alex De León, a master groomer from Miami opening his first shop in Atlanta, gave me one directive: a bold icon built around a lion's mane. Everything else was mine to find.

The Monstera leaf answered the brief in a way no literal lion ever could. Its silhouette mirrors the mane. It gave us something unexpected — plantlike and slightly feral — that landed perfectly with Alex, who also happens to be a self-proclaimed botanist. The palette was born from the collision of two cities: Atlanta's grit and Miami's color, united by the beauty in a decaying landscape.

The system built outward from the mark: stationery, uniforms, apparel, retail signage, and the full Mane Tame product line — Alex's in-house men's grooming brand that needed its own logo, packaging, and advertising. A poster from this project ended up on the walls of Krog Street Tunnel. Magazine ads followed.

Alex also gives free haircuts to the homeless of Atlanta. That's the kind of client you want to build a brand for.