Designer fashion brands like Polo Ralph Lauren and Stone Island all have logos that have become instantly recognisable symbols of the brand and its style of clothing. In many cases, the logo becomes so sought after, that people will even be prepared to buy fake designer clothes, just so that they can wear clothes that carry the logo.

What makes a brand logo an iconic one is relatively straightforward. It needs to be simple, timeless, appropriate for the brand, and it needs to be something that can be used to brand everything from the clothes themselves, to advertising materials and packaging.

There has been some truly great branding in the fashion industry, and Ralph Lauren and Stone Island are just two examples of those. There have also been some epic logo fails over the years, so getting it right is important.

Here’s the story behind the Stone Island and Polo Ralph Lauren logos, and the reasons why they have become iconic symbols of quality.

The Stone Island Compass

The Stone Island logo is a great example of how a simple logo can express everything about a brand. The founder of Stone Island, Massimo Osti, was an enthusiastic sailor, and the brand’s designer clothing range still reflect that to this day. The Stone Island range is high quality, durable clothing that includes practical, but very stylish outwear. The compass logo, a reflection of Massimo Osti’s enthusiasm for sailing, conjures up images of clothes that can withstand the worst of the weather, while retaining the style and the image of luxury yachts and high living.

Of course, Stone Island is not all about nautical clothing. The clothes, known as Stonies to enthusiasts, are now very popular with the streetwear movement, as well as well-known celebrities, including the rapper Drake.

The Ralph Lauren Polo Pony

The Ralph Lauren polo pony is quite possibly one of the best-known designer fashion labels there is, and it too is simple, but extremely effective. The sport of polo is associated with playboys and royalty, so it instantly conveys a sense of style, class and athleticism.

The polo pony logo was happened upon by chance, when Ralph Lauren was looking at patterns to use in his range of men’s neckties. The designer spotted the pony emblem amongst the other fabric patterns and instantly decide that it would make a great logo for his brand.

Today, the Polo Ralph Lauren range of designer clothing includes polo shirts, socks, baseball caps and jeans, but the range still has its distinctive smart, stylish and it has a sporty feel to it. Most items still also have that subtle, but very distinctive polo player logo embroidered on them.

The Ralph Lauren polo pony and the Stone Island compass are just two examples of brand logos that sum up the brand and have become instantly recognisable symbols of quality. Others include the playful cartoon heart of Comme des Garcons Play and the simple but effective badge of Canada Goose. What all of these iconic designer fashion brand logos have in common is their simplicity, their timelessness and their relevance to the brands. That’s how they have come to be a symbol of quality that we all recognise the moment we see it.