Career
After graduating, Fili began her career as a freelance designer of special project books at Alfred A. Knopf from 1975 to 1976. [1] At 25, she was hired as a senior designer for Herb Lubalin, where she remained from 1976 to 1978. She found type an expressive tool, setting the foundation for her later work. [4]
In 1978, she joined Random House as the art director at Pantheon Books, where she rejected standard fonts to create typographic treatments for each book jacket. Her approach extended to the physical surface treatment as well, favoring softer and more durable matte coatings over standard shiny finishes. [5] She stated in a 2018 interview: "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." [6] The success of her jacket for Marguerite Duras' bestseller, The Lover , in 1984 allowed her increased creative freedom at Pantheon. [3] Fili designed close to 2,000 books during her tenure at the publisher. [4]
In 1989, she opened her studio, Louise Fili Ltd., specializing in the design of restaurant identity, food-related logos, and food packaging. [3] During that time, there were few female-run companies, which meant naming the company after herself could be a liability. Speaking of the experience in a later interview, Fili said she wanted to send out a clear message with her studio name: "If you have a problem with my being female, then I don’t want you as a client.” [4] She has designed for many New York City eateries such as Pearl Oyster Bar, Picholine, Artisanal, The Mermaid Inn, and Via Carota. She also created packaging for Sarabeth's jam, Tate's cookies, and Bella Cucina. [7] Her geometric, often Cubist-like designs show an affinity to European Modernism, particularly the work of Lucian Bernhard, A.M. Cassandre, Jean Carlu, and Italian posters of the 1930s.
In 2000, she received three James Beard Award nominations, [8] and since 1998, she has been an elected member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale. [9] In 2004, Fili was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame. [1] In 2015, she received the Medal of Lifetime Achievement from the Type Directors Club. [10]
Fili has authored and co-authored over twenty books, many of them with her husband, the design historian Steven Heller. A monograph of her work, Elegantissima, was published in 2012.
In 2021, she was recognized for her contributions to typography with the Frederic W. Goudy Award, one of the highest honors in typography. [11]
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