Kristine Arth

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Mademoiselle Didot is a curvaceous typeface that celebrates the human form. Her hourglass shape has curves for days and her quirky personality is both charming and sophisticated. Though she looks great on display, she is smart enough to adapt to any environment… she can even be Bold when necessary. She is a lady of many talents and she knows how to work the page. Mademoiselle is confident as a leading lady, but she also plays well with others.

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I’ve recently grown an affinity for Eero Saarinen. His work is known for it’s neo-futuristic style and is regarded as some of the best modern architecture and industrial design of the 20th century. Not only was he versatile, gifted and superior as a young American/Finish designer, he was also terribly in love with his wife Aline. His strong character and design rigor never overshadowed his feminine side. His designs are curvaceous, extreme and never lacks in originality. Mademoiselle Didot is inspired by these characteristics, to be playful at heart, lavish in design, and flexible in use.

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In addition to Saarinen’s work, I looked to Firmin Didot as the backbone to creating Mademoiselle. It’s proportional structure, dramatic extremes, and voluptuous curves have caught my eye for most of my career. When writing with the pointed-pen for the first time, I unknowingly created a Didot that would eventually emulate my own personality. I’ve been told that I captured a bit of my own ‘je ne sais quoi’ in Mademoiselle Didot. The journey I took while creating this typeface has reminded me to trust myself and my intuition. There is always an explanation for following your instinct.

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