Italy is home to many diverse languages and dialects, but the one form of communication that cuts across them is gesticulation, from hand gestures to facial expressions. While on the one hand this has led to a cultural stereotype, many people believe it should be respected as an important facet of Italy’s national cultural identity.

One such person is Luca Vullo, who has previously argued it should be recognised on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage for Italy, which already features practices such as opera singing and Neapolitan pizza-making.

Vullo is a performer, director and educator who brings the art of Italian gestures to audiences and students around the world. In need of a personal brand, Vullo turned to Italian studio Cappelli Identity Design, which has created a type-led identity system that is filled with variety and character.

The studio chose Extenda, a variable sans serif by Zetafonts, for a headline typeface, which is combined with a serif by Paratype called Newton. The variable capability is central to the identity, flexing to different widths as a way of visually emphasising different words or syllables – just as gestures do.

To complete the brand, Vullo has been given his very own ‘LV’ monogram, which will avoid any confusion with Louis Vuitton thanks to the chunky sans-serif lettering used here.

The two letters touch but are “deliberately misaligned” in order to create the shape of a spotlight in the negative space between the letters, a nod to Vullo stepping out on stage to share his art with the world. It’s a neat idea and adds a touch of subtlety to an identity that is otherwise brimming with energy.

cappellidesign.com