Louise Fili
Louise Fili | |
---|---|
Born | Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | April 12, 1951
Nationality | American |
Known for | Graphic design |
Spouse | Steven Heller |
Awards | Art Directors Club Hall of Fame (2004), Art Directors Club Gold Medalist, Art Directors Club Silver Medalist, Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist, AIGA Medal (2014), Type Directors Club Medal of Excellence (2015), SVA Master Series Award and Exhibition (2016), Frederic W. Goudy Award (2021) |
Website | www |
Louise Fili (born April 12, 1951) is an American graphic designer known for her use of typography.[1] Her work blends historic typography with contemporary colors and compositions, drawing inspiration from Modernism and European Art Deco styles.[2] She began her career in publishing, designing nearly 2,000 book jackets at Random House.[3] After establishing her own studio, she shifted her focus to restaurant identity, food-related logos, and packaging.
Early life
[edit]Fili was born on April 12, 1951, in Orange, New Jersey to Italian immigrant schoolteachers.[3] In a 2014 interview, Fili stated she was “interested in design before [she] even knew what it was.”[4] As a child, she carved letterforms into her walls, designed book covers, and created illuminated manuscripts of Bob Dylan lyrics.[4] At 16, she taught herself calligraphy using a Speedball guide and an Osmiroid pen.[5]
Education
[edit]Fili studied studio art at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973.[3][5] Her senior project was an Italian hand-lettered cookbook.[5] She moved to New York City in 1973, interning at the Museum of Modern Art and completing her degree's final semester at the School of Visual Arts.[3]
Career
[edit]Fili began her career as a freelance designer working on special project books at Alfred A. Knopf from 1975–76.[2] At 25, she was hired as a senior designer for Herb Lubalin, where she worked from 1976–78.[3] She then joined Random House in 1978 as the art director at Pantheon Books.[2] There, she developed a distinctive style, creating unique typographic treatments for each book jacket and opting for matte, laminated coatings rather than standard shiny finishes.[6] Her design for Marguerite Duras's 1984 bestseller, The Lover, brought her recognition and greater creative freedom.[5] She designed close to 2,000 books during her time at Pantheon.[3]
In 1989, Fili opened her own studio, Louise Fili Ltd, specializing in restaurant identity, food-related logos, and packaging.[5] She aimed to create designs that were "quiet and subtle," believing "one does not have to shout to be noticed."[7] Her work often features geometric, Cubist-like designs influenced by European Modernism, particularly the work of Lucian Bernhard, A.M. Cassandre, Jean Carlu, and Italian posters of the 1930s. Her clients have included New York City restaurants such as Pearl Oyster Bar, Picholine, Artisanal, The Mermaid Inn, and Via Carota, and food brands like Sarabeth's, Tate's, and Bella Cucina.[8]
In 2004, Fili was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.[2] In 2014, she received the AIGA Medal.[5] She has been a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale since 1998.[9] In 2015, she received the Type Directors Club Medal of Excellence.[10] In 2021, she received the Frederic W. Goudy Award.[11]
Fili has authored and co-authored over twenty books, including Elegantissima (2012), a monograph of her work, and several with her husband, design historian Steven Heller. She has taught at the School of Visual Arts, the New School, New York University, and Cooper Union.[2]
Books authored and co-authored
[edit]Typefaces
[edit]Honors
[edit]Permanent collections
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Eye Magazine | Feature | Reputations: Louise Fili". www.eyemagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- ^ a b c d e "Louise Fili". ADC • Global Awards & Club. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
- ^ a b c d e f "Eye Magazine | Feature | Reputations: Louise Fili". www.eyemagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- ^ a b "Design pioneer Louise Fili on gastronomic passion and gangster clients". 10 April 2014. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
- ^ a b c d e f "2014 AIGA Medalist: Louise Fili". AIGA. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ Kirkham, Pat (2000). Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 367. ISBN 0300087349.
- ^ "AGI : Archive Articles : AGI Dialogue: One Does Not Have To Shout To Be Noticed". 2012-03-23. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
- ^ Shapiro, Amanda (November 14, 2016). "Meet the Woman Behind The Tate's "T" and Other Food Logos You Love".
- ^ "Members". AGI. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
- ^ "TDC Medalist Louise Fili: Typography Animated by a Passion for the Past - The Type Directors Club". The Type Directors Club. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
- ^ Byrne, Peter. "Goudy Award Presentation and Lecture". Rochester Institute of Technology. Retrieved 20 April 2021.