An old book found at a Paris bouquiniste contained samples of the typeface “Caractère de finance,” a bâtarde design by 18th century typefounder Pierre Simon Fournier. Rather than revive the type, Kanna Aoki decided to reinvent it, using a felt pen to achieve a rustic, handwritten quality, departing from the 18th century model as she saw fit. MVB Chanson d’Amour conveys a soulful elegance that stops short of the ostentatious, overwrought found in many formal scripts. It is lovely and sweet, but never saccharine.
