Move over, male-dominated world of wine. Marilee Bramhall is here to make sure the top female natural winemakers from France and Italy get their due. The name Iola came from her bold grandmother, a flapper who loved the ballet just as much as working the back-forty of her Walla Walla, Washington ranch.

I studied history at U.C. Berkeley as an undergrad, and when I can use those skills of research to unearth context, it can bring layers of rich story to my design work. This logo is an example of that. It’s an homage to the women of ancient Etruscan society as well as Marilee’s grandmother Iola, with a nod to her numerous sisters in the form of the Pleiades. The owl represents wisdom, but as fate would have it, it also turned out to have personal significance to Marilee, with real ones appearing at key moments in her life. Even if none of this symbolism is apparent to someone first coming to the brand, it still evokes a sense of conviction and strength, two traits female winemakers have in spades.

role: Creative Director
SCOPE: Visual Identity, Collateral, Merchandise, Photography Art Direction