Mirko Borsche is a German graphic design legend, art director and the founder of Bureau Borsche, where he and a team of 12 people offer design and communication consultancy for the broad appeal of clients such as Nike, Supreme, BMW, Balenciaga, Zeit Magazine, Rimowa and many more. Bureau Borsche believes design is a source of learning, understanding, and joy, which comes through in its content-driven work where Borsche makes his own rules and develops an idiosyncratic visual signature.
The studio’s work seems to float effortlessly between contradictory worlds of corporate clients, luxurious fashion brands and the experimental art world. Let’s deep dive into some of Mirko Borsche’s most iconic design adventures!
Editorial work
Since 2007 Mirko Borsche has been holding the position of creative director in Zeit Magazine. His tenure has been marked by unique and contemporary designs earning him accolades nationally as well as internationally. Next to his work redesigning and developing Die Zeit Mirko’s general scope also warrants a close look at layouts, a fresh mind for cover and content concepts, and an eye for top notch photographers, illustrators and artists.
As an art director and designer Mirko is also working for Spike Art Magazine, Novembre, The Face and Nomas.Design for Super paper, a free newspaper, which was Bureau Borsche’s experimental graphic laboratory, deserves special attention. Over the past seven years it has become hugely popular among the young city crowds in Munich. Its pages feature cultural news and updates on music events so that you can never miss a good party or exhibition.
Balenciaga
Borsche and his team redesigned Balenciaga’s new websites and logos to reflect “norm core” aesthetics. Bureau Borsche has worked with Demna Gvasalia to create an “utterly brilliant in its simplicity and superbly user-friendly” website. Mirko has stripped back its elements completely and the result is a basic grid system that guides customers through Balenciaga’s collections, leading to a “fast and fun” check-out in its online shop.
Supreme
Supreme is an American skateboarding and lifestyle brand catering to youth culture and established in New York in 1994. Bureau Borsche has been creating some extraordinary seasonal graphics and providing creative services for the Supreme since 2020.
Bavarian State Opera 2021 – 2022
With a history of over 350 years, the Bavarian State Opera is one of the leading opera houses in the world and one of Bureau Borsche’s biggest and the most long-standing clients for 13 years. The studio designed a new identity for the Opera, giving it a contemporary and modern look. The outcome includes the acid-meets-classicism season guides, program books, posters, development and creative direction of 11 VR stages for the Opera and Ballet season’s premiere.
Venice Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2019
Borsche’ s art commission for the Venice Pavilion at the Biennale contaminated the whole city with popping Neon Yellow identities. The concept’s centerpiece is the abstract Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice, which highlights the six boroughs of Venice in the lines of his wings. This graphical system is applied on many elements like signs, posters, flags and public transport. The idea is to make the symbol viral, flood the city, and invite everyone to be a part of the Venice Pavilion.