Per-Olof Ahl’s idea was simple: to give all women the chance to dress well. It started in 1953 with coats, purchased in bulk and sold at low prices in a Gothenburg basement store. An idea that grew rapidly to encompass womenswear, menswear and childrenswear in the 1970s. In the early 2000s, KappAhl’s strategy was to reposition itself as a supplier of affordable fashion rather than simply being a supplier of basic clothing.

Stockholm Design Lab performed the makeover through a comprehensive design programme that was introduced to KappAhl’s stores over a two year period. The new visual identity included an updated, stronger and more contemporary logotype together with a typographic style which paired the classic style of Caslon for text with punchy Helvetica Neue Bold for headlines. The new photographic style focused on the family and expressed warmth, strength, humour and a natural, toned down confidence.