Elegantissima, the Design & Typography of Louise Fili by Louise Fili is a beautiful book filled with impressive designs—a compilation of identity projects, branding, and logo designs.
While I was watching an online course called, “Expressive Lettering with Swashes and Flourishes,” the speaker, designer Dan Forster, was inspired by Louise Fili and showed examples from her book. I was not familiar with her (was I living under a rock?), and I had to learn more.
I promptly ordered Elegantissima from the library and was wowed at the depth and intricate detail of her work. This was eye candy! My partner, Gary, also commented on the quality of excellent type design. When the book was due at the library, I bought a used copy at an online retailer so I could continue to be inspired.
What an amazing career and a variety of design styles. Elegantissima is divided into several sections, including books, restaurants, packaging, identities, designer/author, and posters. Each project begins with Fili’s explanations and stories. I loved the chapter “Before and After: Makeovers, Large and Small”—thirteen exquisite examples.
Louise Fili said of her years at Pantheon, “I was very fortunate to start my job as the Art Director of Pantheon Books at a time when there was little innovation in the world of book jackets … few risks were being taken.”
Thanks to her innovative ideas, the quality of book design was elevated—she raised the bar high! Today, book covers are a huge selling point and the most important marketing tool for an author or publisher.
Fili is masterful with all styles. I love her beautiful script typography and flourishes. Many of the design examples in this book look “old world” but appear very contemporary and fresh. Fili excels at type, color, and design.
There’s also an excellent article about Louis Fili on CreativePro’s website. You can search Google Images for a quick look at her work.
Beautiful typography is wonderful to see and well appreciated. This book is a delight!
