PKZ | 1952

PKZ, 1952, by Heini Fischer-Corso

This striking modernist poster showcases a bold typographic design featuring the letters "PKZ" in overlapping layers of vibrant colours. The composition presents a large red "P" partially overlaid by a blue "K", which is in turn intersected by a yellow "Z". These oversized letterforms dominate the poster against a cream-coloured background. Adding photographic elements to the abstract design, a black button with visible holes appears in the upper right, while a black-and-white photograph of a gloved hand holding a needle is positioned at the bottom right. The gloved hand holds a pipe.

This poster was created for PKZ (Paul Kehl Zurich), Switzerland's oldest and most prestigious menswear company, established in 1881. By the 1950s, PKZ had firmly established itself as a leading fashion retailer with a long history of commissioning innovative graphic designs for its advertising. The early 1950s represented a pivotal period in Swiss graphic design, as the principles of what would later become known as the "Swiss Style" or "International Typographic Style" were being formalized. This approach emphasized clarity, objectivity, and the use of grid systems, typography, and photography rather than illustration. The historical context of this poster is significant—post-World War II Switzerland had emerged economically unscathed, allowing cultural growth while neighbouring countries were still recovering. Swiss design was gaining international recognition for its precision and innovative approaches, with government and professional organizations sponsoring design competitions to showcase the best Swiss posters both domestically and abroad. PKZ's advertising reflected this design excellence, using the most forward-thinking graphic artists to communicate its brand values of quality, modernity, and craftsmanship.

Heini Fischer-Corso (1921-1990) was a notable Swiss graphic designer who emerged during this golden age of Swiss graphic design. Born in Zurich, he established himself as an independent graphic designer in 1946, working from the "Corsohaus" building at Bellevue in Zurich, which provided the latter part of his professional name. His work for PKZ represents his contribution to the developing modernist approach in Swiss commercial art, combining bold typography with photographic elements to create visually striking compositions. Fischer-Corso's career spanned several decades, and from 1981 to 1986, he worked as an archivist at the renowned Graphische Anstalt J. E. Wolfensberger AG in Zurich, a printing company that played a crucial role in the development of Swiss graphic design. After this period, he returned to the Corsohaus to continue his creative work. Though not as internationally celebrated as some of his contemporaries like Josef Müller-Brockmann or Herbert Matter, Fischer-Corso's work nevertheless exemplifies the rigorous approach to graphic design that made Swiss design so influential in the mid-twentieth century.