Synopses & Reviews
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. In 1989 Fili founded her own graphic design studio, Louise Fili Ltd, and branched out into the fields of restaurant and food packaging design. Her lavish and elegant typography, often hand drawn, helps advertise and market such well-known brands as Sarabeth's, Bella Cucina, Jean-Georges, and Good Housekeeping, among many others. Known for her intense attention to detail, her fresh reinterpretation of vintage sources, and her passion for all things Italian, Fili has won numerous awards. Elegantissima, the first monograph on her work, covers the breadth of her nearly forty-year design career and is a must-have for graphic design students and professionals, as well as anyone interested in advertising, food, restaurants, Italy, and books.
Review
" When it comes to food, you probably don't know Louise Fili's name but you may very well recognize her work. If you've ever dined at The Mermaid Inn, Back Forty, or Artisanal in New York City, eaten Tate's Bake Shop's cookies, spread some of American Spoon's jam on bread, or poured a glass of Bartlett Winery's wild blueberry wine, you've seen Fili's designs... Graphic designers are sure to appreciate this book--not only for Fili's professional legacy but also for its historical point of view." -- Epicurious.com
Review
"The 256-page monograph is a steal at $40 and a must for package designers and both print and digital typographers." -- InteriorDesign.com
Review
"Sumptuous logos, books, menus, and packaging abound, but the unexpected treat comes in the form of case studies: sketches, inspirations and design process. Not to be missed." --Communication Arts
Review
"Long known as something of a revolutionary in the field of book-jacket design, Fili took her distinctive and elegant old-world style to the food-packaging industry in 1989. There she brought a whole new level of sophistication to everything from candybar wrappers to wine bottles-and you can find many of them here." -- Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Elegantissima is evidence of [Fili's] success. The monograph is filled with case studies, anecdotes, and luscious spreads from an extraordinary career's worth of design. Most of the book will make you hungry, or at least move up your plans to go to Europe. Bellissima!" -- Imprint
Review
"Appropriately lavish and stunning, Elegantissima is the perfect showcase of Fili's intricate, arresting, and always elegant work." -- Brain Pickings
Review
"An image-heavy book that will make type and design nerds drool." -- Bust magazine
About the Author
Louise Fili is director of Louise Fili Ltd, a New York-based design studio specializing in logo, package, restaurant, and book design. Formerly senior designer for Herb Lubalin, Louise Fili was art director of Pantheon Books from 1978 to 1989, where she designed close to 2000 book jackets. Fili has taught and lectured on graphic design and typography, and her work is in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, and the Bibliothèque Nationale. She is a member of the Art Directors Hall of Fame, and received the medal of lifetime achievement from the AIGA.
Fili is the author of Elegantissima, published by Princeton Architectural Press. She has also written The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Florence and co-authored Italianissimo. With her husband, the design historian Steven Heller, she is co-author of Italian Art Deco, British Modern, Dutch Moderne, Streamline, French Modern, Deco España, German Modern, Design Connoisseur, Counter Culture, Typology, Stylepedia, Euro Deco, Scripts, and Shadow Type.