Lella and her spouse Massimo were both Italian born designers who went on to found Vignelli Associates in 1971 and opened offices in New York, Paris, and Milan. Lella and Massimo Vignelli were described as "iconic, impossibly exotic characters" in New York. In 1982, they were both awarded the AIGA Gold Medal for their achievements and contributions to design. The AIGA described their design output together as "prodigious in quantity, far-ranging in media and scope and consistent in excellence." Collections containing examples of the Vignelli's work include those of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, The Pompidou Centre in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.