Khali Min (meaning ‘free from’ in Arabic) is a haircare line formulated in the UK with roots in Egypt. The "clean and consciously" led brand describes itself as  creating sustainable products with an emphasis on high performance, fair-trade, transparent sourcing and non-toxic ingredients.

KM wanted an identity that would balance their Egyptian heritage with a clean and modern aesthetic to appeal to a conscious audience. As a start up, the first run would need to use off the shelf solutions to package the first two products in a budget friendly manner.

Inspired by the company's Egyptian roots, Magpie Studio created an Arabic pattern that transforms into free flowing lines (representing unruly hair that’s been tamed). The logo draws reference from Arabic calligraphy and we used playful language to further build the narrative with lines like ‘raised in the warm desert winds of Egypt, we know a thing or two about haircare’ and ‘freedom for your spirit, not just your hair’. Product photography sets out to feel warm and sun drenched, styled using using raw natural ingredients.

The identity and packaging has been hailed a "huge success" and earned an award at Beauty Shortlist’s Wellbeing Awards. On top of this they’ve managed to secure funding and several contracts, most notably Selfridges where they successfully launched in Spring 2021 as part of the ‘Project Earth’ initiative.

“We asked Magpie to draw from a storied, structured cultural tradition that is instantly recognisable. Their genius was to create an Arabic-influenced typographical logo and an arabesque interpretation that pays tribute to this heritage. They gave us something familiar but new,” says Vanessa Karlo, Co-Founder at Khali Min Ltd.

‍