LELLA VIGNELLI (1934 - 2016)

Elena (Lella) Vignelli was born in Italy to a family of architects. She received a degree from the University of Venice’s School of Architecture and attended MIT’s School of Architecture.

In 1957 she married Massimo Vignelli. The two were lifelong collaborators, co-founding the Lella and Massimo Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture in Milan in 1960, and then Vignelli Associates in New York City in 1971. Among others, they designed for Pirelli, Olivetti, American Airlines, Bloomingdales, Heller, Knoll, and the NYC Subway System.

Their work was collaborative, with Massimo generally spearheading graphics and Lella three-dimensional design. However, Lella’s contributions were often ignored and credited solely to Mr. Vignelli. This was a source of frustration to both. Shortly before he died, Massimo wrote a book about Lella, in which he said the following about her: “All her work bears the mark of clarity and simplicity which is specific to her design approach. All of it shows a distinctive sense of pragmatism with no room for meaningless decoration......her work is solid, timeless and elegant.”