The Story Behind the LLF Logo

Armando Milani

My Encounter with Lele Luzzati I first met Lele Luzzati in Milan during the 1980s, at the studio of Roberto Sambonet, on the occasion of the AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) meetings.

I remember his gentle and reserved manner, so strikingly contrasted with the exuberance of his extraordinary imagery, populated by fairies and witches in a thousand vibrant colours. His work is always marked by the triumph of good over evil, transporting us into a fairy-tale world of dreams, playfulness and imagination.

When Sergio Noberini asked me to design the logo for the Lele Luzzati Foundation, I accepted with great enthusiasm, while also feeling the responsibility of capturing the essence of such an extraordinary artist in a single symbol.

My first idea was to work with the two “L”s of his initials, but I soon realised they did not fully express his personality. I therefore studied his work in depth and came to the conclusion that The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra) was the image that best represented his artistic vision, his playful spirit and his desire to delight audiences. It also offered the versatility needed for every future application of the Foundation’s visual identity.

I believe that the motif of the two repeated half-heads of the magpie conveys both Luzzati’s playful nature and his unique ability to communicate with the world of children. I am deeply pleased by the warm reception the logo has received over the years, and especially by the compliments I received from the Milanese publisher Rosellina Archinto.

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