Parisian Yorgo’s story begins with the legendary car magazine “Intersection” that circulated in the depths of the ’90s, an excuse to introduce him to the then, at least, prosperous Anglo-Saxon world. Intersection was an international magazine about car culture, combining design, fashion, art and architecture around the theme of motoring. Yorgo Tloupas was co-founder and art director of the French Intersection Magazine in the early ’00s, and indeed it was one of the projects that established him in international design. The magazine stood out because it did not limit itself to the technical presentation of cars, but treated them as a cultural object, with a bold visual language, strong typography and photographs that were more reminiscent of a fashion magazine than a classic “automotive press”.

He began his journey with major French media brands in 2013, when he took over as art director of the French edition of Vanity Fair, setting the foundations for the magazine’s typography, identity and visual character, a position he held until 2021. A few years later, in 2017, she worked with Ricard to completely redesign its visual identity, introducing a new logo featuring the letter “R” made of sunbursts and reviving elements from its historical heritage.

In 2022, on the occasion of the brand’s 90th anniversary, he created a special summer edition honoring Marseille, connecting Ricard with its Mediterranean roots through contemporary typographic patterns. Finally, in late 2023 and into 2024, he oversaw another refresh of Ricard’s graphic codes, introducing a new iconic emblem—the yellow sun circle—which replaced the 2017 “R,” marking a “redesign of the redesign.”

He then worked with GQ, the hugely popular French weekly Paris-Match, luxury watch brands, and even his own ski and snowboard brand, Black Crows. Notably, he also opened a Greek café, Yorgaki, in Paris.

On working with major design-focused brands:
“You’ve worked with brands that are institutions in design. What do you see as the common traits of clients who truly invest in design?”

“It’s literally an ancient issue. The phrase ‘Art and Commerce’ has the same meaning today as it did in 500 BC. A businessperson in 2025 has the same interest in making their brand attractive as a craftsman selling pottery in the Pompeii market. The vast majority, if not all, of my clients understand the value of design; otherwise, they wouldn’t approach me. Their common trait is a desire—sometimes even a necessity—to present themselves in the best possible way. In B2C companies, like a cosmetics brand or a magazine, it’s essential to succeed in a competitive market. In B2B companies, like a law firm or an investment fund, it’s more of a desire, since aesthetics in these areas are not synonymous with success. I’m always surprised by huge commercial successes built on impersonal, banal, even unattractive aesthetics. Amazon and Google built their history on logos that would have failed my design classes.”

On navigating economic crises as an entrepreneur:
“I remain optimistic and confident. I was already this way in 2008, during the real crisis. Today, I don’t notice any significant change in the number of new clients or their budgets. Everyone needs good design, and at Yorgo&Co we are lucky to work across many sectors, from luxury fashion to technology, health, and sports. If I worked only for LVMH and Kering, I’d be more concerned.”

On artificial intelligence in creative professions:
“I already use AI; it’s a new tool that can be effective for research or creating reference images, for example. For other uses, there are still many limits, especially in logo design. Paradoxically, AI doesn’t work here yet. The logo I made for Ricard—a simple yellow circle—would never have been proposed by AI: too simple, too obvious, yet very subtle. Ultimately, my profession—or rather my professions—are about making choices, and AI doesn’t choose, it suggests. So there will always be a moment when a final decision must be made, and you must know how to make it. Some businesspeople might think they don’t need a design studio, but the market will answer, and the expression ‘Art and Commerce’ will gain its full meaning when sales decline due to poor artistic choices by the boss, aided by AI.”

On engaging new generations of consumers (Gen Z, Millennials):
“Not really; everything always works in cycles. Teenagers on the street today dress like Britney Spears in 1999. In any case, I never work to satisfy passing trends. I hope my work is timeless, and I’ve tried to maintain that since the late 1990s. Some projects I did in 2000, like the visual identity for the Le Printemps de Cahors festival, could have been made in 1972 or today—I challenge anyone to date them visually.”

Advice for entrepreneurs launching a new brand today:
“Work in a field you are passionate about. If you love underwear, launch an underwear brand; if you love video games, create a video game; and if, like me, you love surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and skiing, then launch a ski brand!”

Website: www.yorgo.co