House Industries CHALET 
Fonts and Clipart


-Fonts-

The character listing at left reveals the true genius of Rene Albert Chalet and his unique approach to type design.  Faced with the daunting task of updating his advertisements over the years, Rene discovered a way to slightly alter his typefaces while still retaining the feeling he had already established in his original identity.  Beginning with a basic set of characters, Rene then replaced certain key letters with the ones that significantly changed the attitude of the face.  He then expanded the family by adding subsequently bolder versions of the foundational versions.


-Silhouettes-

Since the company's inception, silhouettes have played an prominent role in CHALET's internationally recognized ad campaigns.  Seduced by the ability to convey messages and elicit a wide reange of emotions through utmost simplicity, Rene employed the use of silhouettes for many decades.  Now the same images. that brought recognition to CHALET are yours.  We've even added our own icons for a total of over 100 images.  From the statuesque outline of a Concorde jet to the shapely profile of a runaway model, every detail has been painstakingly rendered for a crisp and clean look.


-History-

Although arguably one of the greatest type designers in history, Rene Albert Chalet is more widely know in the fashion circles for his contributions to the international clothing market.  It was his bold departure from the Haute Couture establishment which helped to build the commercial model around which the present industry is structured. However, Chalet's early life was more one of matrices than of mannequins.

After serving a s a printer's apprentice in his home city of Interlake, Rene submitte a new typeface to Deberny & Peignot in 1944.  The font and its creator both embodied the same capricious qualities that would escape conventional nomenclature for generations.  Fashion and utility coalesced in one form and, in light of its constraint to simplicity, the face remained cleverly apt with a dignified charm.  However, Deberny and Peignot declined to release Chalet's "typographic aberation."

After his rejection, he desgned costumes for Marionette du Theatre du Luxembourg and launched Atelier Chalet shortly thereafter.  His passion for typography was renewed while creating the identity for his new enterprise.  His original alphabet echoed the attitude of his clothing designs: function with a flair.  A growing advertising presence brought instant recognition to his pret-a-porter collections making him indirectly responsible for the current shape of fashion advertising.

However, Rene Chalet's work has not been resurrected from the past simply for empty nostalgic reflection, but rather it is our hope his legacy is now more fully appreciated.  The annals of history cannot be rewritten, but the forgotten achievements of a genuine craftsman and true pioneer of modern typography are duly recognized with the release of House Industries CHALET type family.  Purchase the entire collection for only $125!