In the 1940s, Beppe Lavazza frequented the circle of artists of Turin. It was there that he met the artists whom he asked to draw the first famous collection of Lavazza figurines. Emilio Lavazza inherited this same passion for art and design. His friendship and collaboration with Armando Testa is legendary and in 1995, the great creative artist from Turin drew the fifth Lavazza logo.

After acquiring the Bourbon and Suerte brands, in 1992 Lavazza launched the Gualtiero Marchesi blend. This was the first step in a collaboration with great chefs, Marchesi being one of the leading lights at the time. Claudio Caramel provided the graphics for the Lavazza Segno bar range and patented a cup of his own design which is still used today.

The first Lavazza calendar originated from a meeting between Giuseppe Lavazza and Helmut Newton in 1993. It was black and white, set in Paris and Monte Carlo, and conveyed the deep bond between the Turin-based company and coffee.