When Livraria Lello asked us to redesign the covers of their pocket-sized literary classics collection, our book-loving heart skipped a beat. Internationally regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful bookshops, and a cultural and artistic destination in the city of Porto (Portugal), Livraria Lello took the decision to align its visual identity with a new attitude towards the business. Among their many initiatives is the acquisition of a set of Bob Dylan's teenage love letters — a testimony of the author's coming of age; and a partnership with Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, for the promotion and celebration of Le Petit Prince. As part of the bookshop’s rebranding process which took place in 2022, the bookshop’s pocket-sized collection of literary classics, published in four languages, was expanded from 29 titles to 43.
The design of the books within this collection is exclusively typographical and explores the glyphs in the custom typeface designed together with Dino dos Santos, with its distinctive ligatures. This typeface is used across the board in the brand assets, unfolding as a key element in the identity. Starting from the primary and secondary colours of the bookshop’s visual identity (red/brown and green/pink), the colour palette widened to explore bold and refined contrasts, allowing for a continuous expansion of combinations. The finishings and details of the book design were carefully selected; from the colour of the debossed hardcover (with the matching bookmark ribbon) to the ‘French fold’ dust jacket printed with the bookshops’s signature monogram motif. In line with Livraria Lello's rebranding, ‘The Pop Collection’ of contemporary classics straddles historical, literary and typographic heritage and the boldness of the chromatic approach. The finest of literature, brought together across a vibrant bookshelf.
