NO. 01 - ORIGIN STORY
WHEN A JOKE BECOMES A SIGNATURE. A SIGNATURE BECOMES A TRADEMARK. A TRADEMARK BECOMES AN ATTITUDE. AN ATTITUDE BECOMES A DESIGN. NOW WE'RE MAKING SHIRTS OUT OF IT.
SAINT LAURENT HAD JUST DROPPED THE YVES AND GONE CLEAN SANS-SERIF - SO A DESIGNER FRIEND SET MY NAME THE SAME WAY AND PUT OFFENBACH WHERE PARIS BELONGS. MINUTES LATER A SECOND MAIL: "HERE'S THE NEW DESIGN, OTHERWISE NOBODY GETS IT." IT READ OFFENBACH. NOT PARIS. THE JOKE STUCK - ON THE PORTFOLIO, THE SIGNATURE, EVERY COVER - UNTIL STRANGERS AT GO-SEES OPENED THE BOOK AND SAID: "AH, YOU'RE THAT OFFENBACH GUY." THAT'S WHEN A JOKE BECAME A TRADEMARK. THEN A LABEL.
