The Albini Group is a multi-generational family firm near Bergamo in northern Italy, with a workforce of more than 6,000 craftspeople and a world-class reputation for weaving luxury clothing fabrics. For generations, Albini’s fabrics have been used by the world’s finest bespoke tailors, shirtmakers and luxury fashion houses, but, in 2019, the company set out to create a radically different kind of textile brand.

Called Performance Wear, Albini developed a collection of luxury ‘technical’ fabrics, with impressive breathable, weather-resistant and anti-bacterial properties. Targeted to premium sportswear brands, the collection needed an identity that would enable Albini to grab the sportswear market’s attention. In response, Birch led a series of strategy and positioning workshops to create Performance Wear’s visual identity, logos, product naming conventions and icon packs. Modern, striking and monochromatic, Performance Wear is a marked departure from Albini’s other sub-brands and has become one of its most established, specialist product ranges.