Ludmila Hellmann-Kavalla, also known as Mila Kavalla, was an Austrian graphic designer and illustrator born in 1924 in Baden, Austria. She studied at the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts, where she learned fashion design. After graduating in 1950, she opened a design studio with her husband, Roman Hellmann, called “Hellmann-Kavalla.” Kavalla’s background in fashion influenced her work, which included projects for textiles, pharmaceutical products, and the PEZ candy brand.
Recently, the Letterform Archive acquired her artwork, including student projects and client work. Some of her notable designs include the Steiner Seide campaign, where she used silk-like shapes to create an “S” for the brand, and advertisements featuring mannequins and yarns. She often layered colors and scored paper to ensure clean lines, showing her attention to detail. Her work also includes travel illustrations featuring Vienna at the center, though some of these reflect outdated stereotypes. Kavalla’s style and design techniques highlight her unique combination of fashion, illustration, and lettering skills.
The reason I chose to research Ludmila Hellmann-Kavalla is because I remember seeing one of her pages in my typography classes. Her style left a strong impression on me.it feels elegant and grounded at the same time. The lines in her work seem so lively, adding a human, down-to-earth quality to the elegance of her designs.
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