The 79-minute documentary Design is One: Lella & Massimo Vignelli, released on DVD last week, is a biography, of a kind, of the designer and his wife, originally hit the festival circuit in 2012. It neatly tracks Massimo and his wife Lella’s careers as the preeminent design team of the postwar era at something of a breakneck pace. A series of images of the Vignellis’ work flashes by at the start of the film as if we were quickly flipping through a retrospective (or high-end product) catalogue, and things don’t get much slower from there. Directors Kathy Brew and Roberto Guerra blitz through all the high notes—American Airlines, the New York City subway map, Vignelli’s grids—while Massimo and Lella briefly recollect the genesis of a project and their many friends, collaborators, and acolytes sing their praises.
This approach allows us to take the macro view of the Vignellis’ work, but it also promotes Massimo’s genius and vision far too often at the expense of Lella’s role in the partnership. Outside of a two-minute vignette in the middle of the film that’s dedicated to Lella, her jewelry, and interior architecture, and her contributions to Massimo’s work, Design is One mostly alludes to how important she is and has been to design and Massimo without allowing her to stand on her own. At one point in the film, she says, “Massimo is the dreamer, and I am the reality.” You desperately want that sentiment unpacked. Unfortunately, there’s always a Heller cup or typography discussion that needs exploring.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.