I led the creation of the logo and brand identity for Marcus Addis, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s newest restaurant and a personal homecoming to Ethiopia. Grounded in deep cultural research, the identity draws from Ethiopian textiles and basketry and pairs them with an Art Deco influence nodding to Marcus’s Harlem roots—think The Lenox Lounge and The Cotton Club. I applied the system across signage, website, social, apparel, and menus, creating a unified brand expression that connected heritage, place, and personality into a distinctive hospitality experience.

and spaces like The Lenox Lounge and The Cotton Club. A central bushbuck icon—native to the Ethiopian highlands and reinterpreted through the lens of a traditional tribal mask—anchors the system, reflecting both place and perspective. The process balanced respect for Ethiopia’s history with the contemporary energy of Addis Ababa, while channeling Marcus’s signature blend of culture, confidence, and global influence—resulting in a brand that feels both deeply rooted and unmistakably his.