Charlotte Fosdike, "Throughout history there have always been a class of adventurous but unruly people, also known as the "black sheep" of society. These people have marked the past with notorious, beneficial or colorfully strange ways. The Black Sheep Collection is a limited edition selection of hand-crafted spirits by a humble, family-run distillery based in South Australia. Each spirit has been given the name of a historical rascal that can be associated to its flavor, region, or reputation. The minimalist design elements, illustrated sheep wrap and quirky nature of the concept conjure interest and spark the imaginations of the "wickedly mischievous and badly behaved".

The only constraint to the brief was to create a collection of labels that would embody the concept of the "Black Sheep". There were lots of ideas for this project and many different ways to communicate the theme. So, at the beginning it was difficult due to the broad scope. However, after thorough research and brainstorming, the concept became clear. It was a matter of choosing people throughout history as a base to the overall story, and what better way than to use their names to personify the collection.
-Charlotte Fosdike

The project was mostly inspired by the boldness of minimalism. The stories of each of the Black Sheep characters are so complex that it was important to simplify the design elements to their raw form and not over complicate the overall look and feel. The end product was a mix of simple typographic design and illustrations that allowed the boldness of the names on the bottles speak for themselves.
-Charlotte Fosdike

I like to consider myself more as an artist as opposed to a graphic designer. Of course what I do is technically described as "graphic design" but I see myself as delivering commissioned artworks for a brand or company. So in terms of style, my focus is to build a story and to reveal that story through carefully crafted typographic elements, illustration, colour, paper stocks, and other design elements that might contribute to that overall concept. It's about visualising all this right from the beginning. There's a little studio in my hometown of Adelaide, "Mash", that has for a long time been an inspiration, and they do this beautifully. The Singaporean design studio, Foreign Policy, have also contributed such wonderfully inspiring works.
-Charlotte Fosdike

Believe in your dreams and your passions, they are important to you for a reason. If it means being stubborn with your ideas or learning to be good at selling them, then do so because the end reward is great. Beautiful execution is the key, if you need to spend extra time on choosing the right colour palette or the right typeface then spend the extra time because these little details are valuable to the overall product.
-Charlotte Fosdike

About Charlotte Fosdike

Internationally renowned creative director Charlotte Fosdike delivers work of distinct style imbued with passion and enthusiasm. Originally from Australia, now based in the UK, Charlotte works her unique craftsmanship on projects from around the world, producing designs that are regarded as both compelling and timeless. Notable aspects of her work include an emphasis on highly professional execution, interactive client-focused strategy, and a passion for exceptionally crafted typography. Her distinctive approach, combined with her ceaseless inspiration and creativity, leads to a continual endeavour to create brands that are enduring, personalised, ideas driven, and aesthetically beautiful. See more of her works on Behance or her website.