In this video steve heller and louise fili describe their attraction to shadow type and explain how their extensive collection of 19th and early 20th century examples of the typeface evolved into a. Marseille is an art decoinspired typeface which is based on louise filis iconic cover design for the hauntingly beautiful marguerite duras novel, the lover. Louise filis design is wonderful if only the book designers were as good. Graphic designer louise fili, of new york, often photographs old signage in her travels. We discuss how she discovered her niche, her logo design process, typography design, her incredible books and so much more. Louise fili shares insights, process and inspiration behind her two handlettered typfaces, mardell and montecatini. Born on april 12, 1951, in orange, new jersey, louise fili displayed early graphic art skills by carving letterforms into her bedroom wall as a youngster. I think that the logo and handlettering are a great combination. Louise fili is an italianamerican graphic designer recognized for her elegant use of typography and timeless quality in her design. Louise fili a designer who is absolutely enthralled with italian culture, louise fili worked in the book publishing business for 11 years and now runs her own design studio where she specializes in restaurant identity, food packaging and book jacket design. The design and typography of louise fili opens at the art directors club on wednesday, september 10th from 68. Louise fili is director of louise fili ltd, a new yorkbased design studio specializing in branding for food packaging and restaurants.
Formerly senior designer for herb lubalin, fili was art director of pantheon books from 1978 to 1989, where she designed close to 2,000 book jackets. Fili is the undisputed master of the universe when it comes. Louise fili is an italianamerican graphic designer recognized for her elegant, elaborate and timeless typography work. Louise fili the mermaid inn and oyster bar i think this would be a really interesting concept for a camp bar. She has authored and coauthored over twenty books on graphic design and italy, and teaches at school of visual arts in new york city and rome. Considered a leader in the postmodern return to historical styles in book jacket design, fili explores historic typography combined with modern colors and compositions. We provide some of the industries most creative cover and.
Her interest in food and the italian culture started when she was very young. Louise fili principal, an expert in italian visual culture, is an internationally celebrated creative director, graphic designer, type designer, and author. She is a aries and was born in the year of the rabbit 2014 american institute of graphic arts medalist who is recognized for her work as a book cover designer. Louise fili is the first comprehensive retrospective of the designers influential career, and includes her book jacket, branding, food packaging, and restaurant identity work.
A musthave for designers, not to mention that quirky group in love with type for types sake you know who you are, typology is the most visually dynamic compendium of typefaces on the market. In 1989 she started her own design firm, louise fili ltd, specializing in food packaging, restaurant identities, and books. She designed the jacket art for marguerite durass 1984 bestseller the lover. Louise fili shares her words of wisdom from 40 years as a designer louise fili centre with some of her team in a custom larte del gelato car following her logo makeover for the brand. Louise fili ltd has since redesigned the good housekeeping seal of approval, designed an iconic love stamp and created legendary identities for new york city eateries including pearl oyster bar, the mermaid inn and artisanal. Her work is stylish and distinctive whether its a label for a bottle of wine, a logo for an elegant restaurant or the branding for a line of jams. Invited designers including architects, fashion designers, graphic designers, interior designers, landscape architects, product designers, urban designers, and other design professionals have chosen books that inspire them and that have shaped their worldview or their ideas about design. Louise fili photographs parisian signs in her book. She has received gold and silver medals from the society of illustrators and the new york art directors club, the premio grafico from the bologna book fair, and three james beard award nominations. Based in new york, fili is the founder of louise fili ltd, and she certainly knows a thing or two about brand building and the critical importance of design.
Formerly senior designer for herb lubalin, louise fili was art director of pantheon books from 1978 to 1989, where she designed close to 2,000 book jackets. For graphic designer louise fili, books play an outsize role. She has written, cowritten, and designed over twentyfive books on graphic design and italy, including italian art deco, italianissimo, and grafica della strada. The margins are wider near the spine than at the edges, the reverse of good layout. And it all goes back to that sultry evening in july. See more ideas about louise fili, typography, jessica hische. Awardwinning book designers, bookwrights, crafts professionallydesigned books for publishers and individuals. And complexity, notably how we, as a global civilization, deal with science fiction, taste, social media, the cities we live in, aesthetics, powerpoint, burkas, big tech, fullcontact sports, and other.
Influenced by her passions and voice, fili has designed two thousand book jackets, two hundred restaurant identities, and numerous packages. She has received gold and silver medals from the society of illustrators and the new york art directors club, the premio grafico from the bologna book fair, and three james beard award. Designed by the incomparable kevin ocallaghan, this exhibit comprises work from four decades displayed in different conceptually thematic room environments. The new jerseyborn italianamerican began her career as a senior designer for herb lubalin, spent 11 years at pantheon books quietly revolutionizing the art of book design, and then flew solo with the launch of her design studio, louise fili ltd. And complexity, notably how we, as a global civilization, deal with science fiction, taste, social media, the cities we live in, aesthetics, powerpoint, burkas, big tech, fullcontact sports, and other thorny topics. See more montecatini takes its cues from the elegant stile liberty travel posters of italy in the early 1900s.
She has also designed over two thousand book covers. Steven heller and louise fili, two of the most admired and respected designers working today, cover everything from the classic elegance of the late 19th century to the fractured. Louise may never have known that all the assistant designers, myself included, collected her covers like baseball cards, since we guarded our stashes like they were all mickey mantles and would never have traded unless we had doubles. In 1989 fili founded her own graphic design studio, louise fili ltd, and branched out into the fields of restaurant and food packaging design. Louise fili is principal of louise fili ltd, specializing in food packaging and restaurant identities. The exhibition will be on view through 10 december 2016 at the sva gramercy gallery, located at 209 east 23rd street. A chat with louise fili danthonia designsdanthonia designs. Her lavish and elegant louise fili has been an inspiration for designers around the world since the 1980s, when she raised the bar on book cover design, creating close to two thousand jackets as art. Louise fili in the 1920s, bold, red stenciled type was introduced to the metro, surrounded by ornate cast iron. Louise fili has been an inspiration for designers around the world since the 1980s, when she raised the bar on book cover design, creating close to two thousand jackets as art director for pantheon books. Fili was art director of pantheon books for eleven years, where she designed close to 2000 book jackets. On this weeks episode ian interviews louise fili, an italianamerican graphic designer whos specialised in brand development for food packaging and restaurants for the past 30 years.
Shes been designing book covers since the 70s as art director of pantheon, and founded her own studio in new york in 1989. As designers and signmakers, we are fascinated by the work of those craftsmen and sometimes women who preceded us, adorning shopfronts, walls and windows with their finelycrafted specimens of signartistry. Steve heller and louise fili discuss their new book. Louise fili shares her words of wisdom from 40 years as a. I actually got this book to bring to a talk and book signing that louise fili was having at my college. When louise fili sits down to create a restaurant logo, she pencils the restaurants name over and over on tracing paper until, many pages later, a. Louise fili reinvented book jacket design in the 1980s during her elevenyear tenure as art director of pantheon books. Louise fili believes designers need to have their own creative projects to find their design voice. Louise fili is principal of louise fili ltd, a new york city graphic design firm specializing in food packaging, restaurant identities, and publishing. For eleven years louise fili was art director of pantheon books, where she designed 2,000 book jackets. Both she and shepard fairey were famous graphic designers. Her extensive body of work includes nearly 2,000 book jacket designs as well as numerous concepts for. Louise fili is recognized with a 2014 aiga medal for impeccable craftsmanship, elegant use of typography and designing with a passion and. These italian nesting tins bring order and delight to any desktop or bookshelf.
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