Pretty pretty. The marca registrada over the I is a nice touch, IMHO.

The type may want to be tracked out a bit; tightly-spaced caps carry less of an association with "elegance" and are sometimes hard to read.

I am very, very glad to see there are still people who when asked to create a folk/pagan feel do not go straight to uncial lettering!

First impression is the iconic Che Guevara image with antlers, I think you will need to go more in the direction of acanthus leaves for the green man like this rather than combine the horned god and the green man into one character.
Tim

Might work on the base/neckline a bit so it doesn't appear we've taken greenman's head for a trophy (although that's about right).

Gut instinct, I like it - does what you set out to do in terms of feel - Only thing I'd like to see on it is a flourish on the M, that ties it in to the main image - so the text could stand alone and still have a pagan feel to it? But I don't know anything so probably best to ignore me :)

P

Hi,

Thanks for responding. MekOne I have just mocked up something with the text to tie it in as you said. Was this what you meant?
regarding the logo I do not want it to be seen as a Che Guevara rip, so will need to change it, would like it simplified also. Wat are peoples thougths on a direction to go in?

thanks

The type is killing the potential. I love the direction of the horned man. But, scratch the type. With some illustrated like that you need to keep the type simple and the illustration separate from it. Fashion needs no explanation. Especially if this is going towards the level of high end Covent Garden or Notting Hill or wherever else is on point now.

The two last versions you have posted ... the idea of the antlers and the M is interesting, but the typefaces you've chosen are too well known in other areas. I'd really keep the logo separate from the logotype.

The antlers on the M are sweet - I agree with MT about recognisability of the typeface, but overall that's exactly what I meant.

Niceness

P

Point taken on board! I was working on thee text for something else, when one of the replies said about including the type, so was just trying out. Regarding final type that will be used, I am looking for something more interesting at the moment.

I had the same thought myself hat logo and type together are killing it. The one with out is the direction Im going in. But my minds blank now, and I need some ideas or comments, on what is working and what is not. Im going back to drawing board now to play with some ideas and will post soon. thanks.

PS: your assumption on brand was correct, is selling in Covent garden, Liberty, and somewhere in Notting Hill, along side labels such as Silas, PAM, Supreme, Bathing ape, Stussy etc. But the label is alot cleaner and less graphics based, so logo needs to reflect this.

Basically, I need to get logo looking good, and an idea on type, then all the images are going to Peter Saville Associates, for packaging design, and label design. I think they will develop final logo type, and overall typeface for packaging. But it would be interesting to show them the antler type for reference, it may work but only separate to main logo.

What type font do you think might work? Do you think it should be sans?

Freight Micro might be interesting. Something decadent. Maybe Freight is no longer decadent.

Omnes at Vllg.com also from Joshua Darden.

Bello at Vllg.com from Underware. Kinda matches the inkiness of the logo. Perhaps too much.

Sauna at Vllg.com from Underware. Same sort of feel as Bello and also could be too much of a good thing.

Billhead 1890 could be interesting.

This is a great project, BTW, congrats.

Sparrowhawk has a lovely M (the rest is tasty too).
What I was saying about the Che look was not to imply a ripoff just a first impression on seeing it, but I do think that it is too nebulous to be read as a pagan image.
Tim

Billhead 1900 is quite nice, seen that before. The billhead an strange font though. The client wants a logo type that is cleaner, with less character to its self, hence I am allowed to be more creative with the logo.

I need a serif font that is well balanced in height and width, as the name 'Merlin is six letters I do not want it to appear to wide.

I am going to work on the logo tonight and will post something new tomorrow. Any thoughts tonight I can take away with me are greatly appreciated.

Thanks Tim,

The logo does not need to be known to have a pagan reference, thats just my brief. They want the logo to be able to stand on its own, with out being kitch to twee, with no real link to anything, apart from maybe a noble old folk feel, slightly.

Im worried about the bottom appearing like a shield, it not supposed to look like something mounted on the wall.

I would only be concerned with how the looks vertically and hortizontally work with clothing. Its form vs function. I agree separating the mark from the name might be the safest way to go.

Nice but the concept, though not the icon, is eerily similar to another high-end streetwear label from Japan--A Bathing Ape.

http://www.bape.com/images/logo_01.jpg

Thanks for comments.

I know Bathing Ape, as a good friend of mine is the director of the London store. Logo wise, I can see that their is a similarity, but I do not think it looks forced or intentional, what do others think. I never had this is mind when doing this one. Please can I have some feed back from others on this matter? I think the Bape logo is far more like a silhouette, where as the Merlin logo is far more stylized in design. This is why I have tried to make is as symmetrically proportionate as possible. But maybe its not working?

But on the matter of the concept being similar, this I have no idea what you mean. Bathing Ape brands everything, whereas this brand is very much about simplicity, actually its concept is so completely the opposite of Bathing Ape. Please explain how you see the two concepts in a similar way?

Until you mentioned the shield I hadn't noticed it now I can't get it out of my mind when I see it. Let us see your next iteration - no hurry.
Tim

But on the matter of the concept being similar, this I have no idea what you mean. Bathing Ape brands everything, whereas this brand is very much about simplicity, actually its concept is so completely the opposite of Bathing Ape. Please explain how you see the two concepts in a similar way?

I meant that while the two icons are different in subject matter, the concept or rather execution are similar. Both icons have a similar high contrast/silhouette look. I'm not accussing you of copying in any way, but I don't want you to unknowingly lead your client into potential legal trouble with BAPE.

I see your point now, for the similarities in the logo are noticeable. As both brands operate on same level, this will need to be considered. I am working on a new icon, please allow we the weekend to pull together a number of new designs which I shall post. Thank you for your very useful thoughts

thumbs down on the che guivera.