ICONIC BUTTONS AND SYMBOLS

Have you ever wondered about the origin of Loewe’s famous logo? In 1970, artist Vicente Vela gave visual form to the soul of Loewe by designing its now-iconic Anagram: a motif made up of four interlaced Ls, inspired by the branding irons once used by the house to mark its finest leather. Nicknamed “the crab” due to its shape, the Anagram coexisted with various typographic logos until its reinvention under Jonathan Anderson’s direction.

In 2014, Anderson commissioned M/M (Paris) to redesign the brand image as part of his new aesthetic vision, elegant, technical, emotional. The typeface, based on a forgotten font by calligrapher Berthold Wolpe, links Enrique Loewe’s Germanic roots with the typographic modernity the house was seeking. The Anagram still defines Loewe today, appearing across buttons, buckles, charms, embossing and embroidery, quiet reminders of the Spanish house’s legacy.

Among the subtle details found in Celine’s collections, you may have noticed a motif of two mirrored Cs. The Celine Triomphe was born from a chance moment in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris during the 1970s. Céline Vipiana, founder of the house, was struck by the chain links encircling the monument after a minor car accident, architecturally repeated Cs forming a hypnotic rhythm.

This motif, once known as the Blazon Chaîne, became a symbol of Celine’s international expansion in that era. In 2018, Hedi Slimane brought it back from the archives, reintroducing it as the centrepiece of his creative vision. He renamed it the Triomphe, unveiling it with the debut of the Triomphe bag for the Spring 2019 show (although the first bag he designed for the house was the Celine 16). Since then, the logo has remained a symbol of luxury, bridging the Parisian spirit of the ‘70s with the modern youth that now defines Celine.

In recent interpretations, the motif has even been stylised as two elephants raising their trunks, an echo of the house’s original red elephant logo.

If any house has made the absence of a logo its signature, it’s Bottega Veneta. From its beginnings, the Venetian brand avoided overt branding, relying instead on the quality of its intrecciato weave and subtle details visible only to discerning eyes. Its early slogan said it best: “when your own initials are enough.” That’s why many of the house’s closures, fastenings, buttons and buckles subtly reflect the shape of a “V” (for BV – Bottega Veneta).

In the 1990s, a new motif emerged that would become iconic: the Knot. This metallic clasp, shaped like a tied cord, became a language of its own. It first appeared on the house’s famed minaudières, and later evolved into forms like the Andiamo bags, expanding to buttons, jewellery, and even fragrances. Its compact, symbolic geometry transformed it into a quiet yet unmistakable emblem, recognisable only to those in the know.

Do you know when Prada’s triangle became its most defining symbol? It dates back to 1913, when Mario Prada, of the Fratelli Prada company, incorporated it as a seal of quality on trunks and accessories. The metal triangle quickly became the house’s unmistakable hallmark. Its precise, geometric form suggested modernity in an era still dominated by ornamentation.

Over time, Prada’s triangle evolved into a cultural emblem, a graphic icon of Italian luxury and the brand’s unique ability to merge design, concept and function. It now appears on fastenings, enamelled buttons, prints, collars, patches, sunglasses and technical garments, always signalling an exclusive affiliation with Prada. Its power lies in its simplicity: three sides containing over a century of history, still projecting a future of innovation and aesthetic clarity.

In 1961, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé commissioned Adolphe Jean Marie Mouron, better known as Cassandre, to design an emblem that could distill the modern spirit of their newly founded maison. Born in Ukraine to French parents, Cassandre was already renowned during the interwar period for his synthetic, geometric, and timeless style, applied to posters and typefaces that defined an era. His work, also sought after by Dior, represented a refined, universal graphic language.

For Saint Laurent, Cassandre designed a monogram of three intertwined initials: Y, S and L. Its vertical structure remains instantly recognisable, reflecting both Yves’s elegance and the cultural ambition of the house. The Cassandre became a fashion icon, printed on metal buttons, bag fastenings, buckles and jewellery, so significant that it even lent its name to entire product lines. Over sixty years later, it remains one of the most recognisable logos in fashion history.