Alizé is a three-weight typeface inspired by the chancery italic of the 16th century. It is a high-contrast face, created with syncopations in axes and proportions and subtle irregularities that form a lively and delicate weave, suitable for setting a single word, a special expression, or a short block of prose. The family does not contain a roman, and instead promotes the italic as a primary style, a common printing convention in the 16th and 17th centuries. The italic lowercase predates inclined capitals by about twenty years, and as a nod to this typographic evolution, Alizé’s capitals, small capitals, and figures are very slightly inclined to match the energy of the lowercase.
The low x-height and long ascenders and descenders, features associated with finesse and luxury, are reminiscent of the Venetian-style italic, but are further emphasised. Unlike the Venetian italic, however, Alizé has a sharp slope, giving a prominent sweep across the page (alizé is the name of trade wind).
Each font of Alizé has also been manually hinted for the highest-quality display on both print and screen.