the queen of restaurant identity
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s. rOberts
BOOK CO L
ouise Fili is an Italian’American graphic designer and lettering artist, she is well known for her Modernist, European Art Deco styles of typography. She specializes in restaurant identity, food and beverage logos, and packaging design. While based in New York City, she takes annual trips across the bond to collect inspirational photos of historic signage across Italy and France. Fili graduated from Skidmore College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in studio art, this is where she harnessed her love for graphic design. At 25 years old she worked as the senior design for Herb Lubalin.
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RESTAURANTS
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fter a few years, she joined Random House as the art director for Pantheon books. There she became recognized for her typographic forward approach to book jacket designs. Many of her lettering feeds from historic typography pushed forward with modern colors and compositions. Her combination of the two create an air of classic, elegance with the sophistication of a modern eye. Her flexible approach extended to the physical surface of the book covers as well; Fili rejected the standard shiny finishes and foil stamping on book jackets and favored matte, laminated coatings which proved softer and more durable. “I was on a mission to prove that you didn’t have to shout to capture someone’s attention. The cover that I did for The Lover, by Marguerite Duras, was probably the best example of that.” The success of her jacket for Marguerite Duras’s bestseller, The Lover, in 1984 allowed her increased creative freedom at Pantheon. During her eleven years at Random House she designed nearly 2000 book jackets.
I LOVE LOGO MAKEOVERS. I GET ENORMOUS SATISFACTION CLEANING UP SOMEONE ELSE’S MESS.
-LOUISE FILI 5
PACKAG I
n 1989, she opened her own studio, Louise Fili Ltd, specializing in the design of restaurant identity, foodrelated logos, and packaging. “I wanted to focus on the only three things that interest me: food, type, and all things Italian.” Fili said. She sought to “change the accepted formulas of food packaging” by pursuing designs that were quiet and subtle, believing that “one does not have to shout to be noticed.” During that time, there were few female-run companies, so she knew naming the company after herself could be a liability. She embraced this by sending the message: “If you have a problem with my being female, then I don’t want you as a client.” She has designed identities for many New York City eateries such as Pearl Oyster Bar, Picholine, and Artisanal.
GING
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