In Memoriam: Italo Lupi (1934 – 2023)
We remember Italian creative Italo Lupi: an architect and graphic designer who left his mark on brands and institutions in Italy and globally
Italian designer Italo Lupi died in Milan on 28 June 2023; the news was shared by his son, writer and editor Michele Lupi. ‘Architect, art director and right man, he has worked all his life away from the clamour, fighting against the desire to shock at all costs,’ wrote Michele.
Italo Lupi: a great master of visual and graphic culture
Born in Cagliari, Lupi studied architecture at Milan's Politecnico before working as an assistant at Achille Castiglioni's studio. Between the 1970s and 1990, he was art director of Domus and Abitare.
Lupi was best known for his graphic design work, which he created for a range of clients in fashion, design and culture. Among his best known works are logos for Miu Miu, Fiorucci, Tokyo Design Centre, bike manufacturer Cinelli and Milan's Fondazione Vico Magistretti, as well as Turin's 2006 Winter Olympics. Among his accolades were three Compasso D'Oro Awards.
Most recently, he had curated an exhibition of Saul Steinbergs’ drawings at the Triennale in Milan, and his relationship with the institution dates back to the 1960s, when he worked on exhibition designs, identities and posters for the International Exhibitions.
His work was influenced by history and architecture, and among his inspirations he cited Massimo Vignelli, Achille Castiglioni and Saul Bass. Throughout his work, Lupi was able to distil these inspirations (purity, humour, cinematic drama) to create the distinctive style that made him unique.
‘The word creative has haunted us for years,’ he said in an interview to Italian journalist Antonio Gnoli pubished by Italian newspaper La Repubblica in 2015, and shared this week by Michele. ‘Not that it was wrong. But inflated, yes. And used as a soft powder to embellish the professions of advertisers, graphic designers, architects, photographers, communicators. The image I can offer of myself calls for a certain discipline in work. Not giving up reasoning, without however running away from the unusual, the fabled, the unpredictable.’
Lupi had been fascinated by the arrangements of words and signs on a page ever since he was a child. ‘I was attracted by the composition of the page: the letters, the margins, the spaces, the paragraphs. It was as if my mind was freed from thoughts and prejudices, happily travelling across that forest of sign,’ he said.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
The tributes
‘We remember Italo Lupi, a great master of international visual and graphic culture,’ reads a note from Triennale remembering the designer. ‘For over 50 years, his projects have defined the story of our institution through installations and visual communication projects developed with extraordinary sensibility and elegance.’
Tommaso Sacchi, Milan's culture assessor, said in a tribute: ‘With the death of Italo Lupi, we lose a protagonist of international architecture, design and graphic design. An elegant and generous man who has made a decisive contribution to the Italian design culture. A unique professional, who Milan must be proud of.’
Stefano Boeri, who had worked closely with the designer throughout his collaborations with Triennale, said: 'Ciao Italo, your sensitivity, your grace, your elegance have been a gift for Milan and for international graphic and visual culture.'
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
Inside our exclusive New York event with guest editor St. Vincent
To mark the launch of the October 2024 issue of Wallpaper* we threw a party at Dover Street Market – with a very special guest
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
London Fashion Week S/S 2025 highlights: Harry Styles-invested label S.S. Daley holds its first womenswear show
Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss selects the best of London Fashion Week S/S 2025, which began this afternoon with the first womenswear show from S.S. Daley, attended by Harry Styles, who invested in the label earlier this year
By Jack Moss Published
-
A guide to the best fashion stores London has to offer
As London Fashion Week arrives in the British capital today (13 September 2024), Wallpaper* picks the must-visit London fashion stores – from big-name boutiques and classic department stores to the best in vintage, alongside the sleek and experimental
By Jack Moss Published
-
We remember Kenneth Grange, the British industrial designer, who has died aged 95
Kenneth Grange was a colossus of post-war design. With a career spanning six decades, his mission for improvement touched everything from trains to fountain pens, taxis to toothbrushes
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Design world mourns Gaetano Pesce (1939-2024), the ‘most radical of radicals’
We remember Gaetano Pesce, the rule-breaking Italian design visionary, who has died in New York aged 84
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
In memoriam: celebrating the lives and work of those we lost in 2023
We honour and remember some of the influential creatives lost during 2023, through the Wallpaper* tributes that ran throughout the year
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
In Memoriam: Maria Pergay (1930 – 2023)
We remember design dame Maria Pergay, who died on 31 October 2023 aged 93
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
In Memoriam: Andrea Branzi (1938 – 2023)
We remember Italian design radical Andrea Branzi, who died on 9 October 2023
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Art, artefacts and Armani Casa: step into our Made in Italy showcase
In this photographic series, we combine Armani Casa’s timeless furniture collections with Italian art and rare artefacts to tell the story of Made in Italy craftsmanship
By Nick Vinson Published
-
Playful design codes rule in this London Victorian family home
2LG Studio embraces colour and comfort in an extensive renovation of a Victorian family home
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Design at the White House: the creatives working with US Presidents past and present
Interior designers, fashion designers and artists, whose collaborators have included the White House and its residents, with commissions that range from interior refits to presidential portraits
By Pei-Ru Keh Published