Download doc - History of Fashion Illustration

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Fashion illustration is a subject that I’ve been interested in since before I even knew what

it was. Since I was young, I’ve always been drawing pretty girls in even prettier clothes, but

never imagined that is was actually a genre of illustration. Unfortunately, fashion illustration

now isn’t as popular as it once was in the early eighties and nineties, but it continues to be a

passion of mine. This paper is divided into three parts: The Influencers, The Heavyhitters, and

the Current Stars. The Influencers are artists whose techniques have been copied by the Heavy

hitters, whose magnificent strides in fashion drawing for major fashion houses and designers

greatly influenced the Current Stars of Today. As one can see, it is a constant circle of design,

influence and technique, and this paper is a discovery of artists that I have come to admire for

their work and their dedication to their craft.

The Influencers

When thinking of fashion illustration, these artists probably do not come to mind, but

their style and techniques have been graciously copied by many of the other artists I’ll talk about,

so it is necessary to mention them. Although some of these illustrators did not solely focus on

fashion, their flair and modern artistic thinking really paved the way for future illustrators.

Charles Dana Gibson

Born in 1867 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Charles Dana Gibson is, in my opinion, the first

successful fashion illustrator. His creation of the Gibson girl, a beautiful twenty-something

female with soft hair piled in a carefully constructed chignon, stiff shirtwaist, and wistful yet

mischievous smile created frenzy in the Victorian era and made him a superstar. His bold

craftsmanship in the black pen and ink drawings idealized and glorified women, and lots of

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people looked for fashion ideas and moral inspiration in the Gibson girl. She was seen as the

ideal woman. She could be spunky and sentimental, poised and feminine, yet independent all at

the same time. Gibson’s drawings were in demand at all of the major magazines such as Harper’s

Bazaar or the Century, and was fought over by these magazines for exclusive rights for his feisty

illustrations. For inspiration, Gibson scored through different English and American magazines

for his own ideas, and used many society ladies as models for the Gibson Girls. He even created

the Gibson man, a courteous and handsome young man who was always in awe of the Gibson

girl’s beauty. In his illustrations, the women were always portrayed in a dominant position than

the men, but the men never really seemed to mind, and never offended anyone. The Gibson girl

was seen everywhere on everything. Her face was seen on common things such as stamps and

large print books to uncommon things like tablecloths and wallpaper. However, by the 1920’s

the prim, proper image of the Gibson girl was replaced by the fast and active flapper girl, and the

Victorian era faded away. His drawings made a small comeback during the 1940’s era of

Victorian nostalgia became popular for movies, and still continue to sell well even today.

Gibson’s illustration really established character in his designs and artwork and had a

recognizable style, which I think is important.

Coles Phillips

Coles Phillips was not really a fashion illustrator, but he often drew ads featuring

accessories and clothes often worn by the everyday woman. His technique of the “fade away”

line, which emphasized form and shape, made his drawings of active, modern women really

shine. His technique has been ripped off too many times to count by artists not just limited to

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fashion. The fade away line has become almost essential in fashion illustration in order to

communicate and express the line of the body in clothes, and it is a tooI that many illustrators

still use today. The mind’s eye fills in the body, which encourages imagination. Bold flat colors

and simple shape also made this Golden Age illustrator’s technique legendary.

JC Leyendecker

JC Leyendecker is the opposite of Charles Dana Gibson, in his subject of drawings,

because instead of drawing fashionable ladies, he drew dapper young males for most of his

drawings. An illustrator by trade, Leyendecker came from Germany and took New York by

storm with his creation of the Arrow Head Man, the mascot for Arrow Head shirt Collar

Company. His illustrations featured sophisticated, in control society men who women anted and

men wanted to be. Leyendecker image created a brand for Arrow Head, providing more

customers who wanted to look fashionable and smart. Along with his Arrow Head men,

Leyendecker also drew more than 350 Saturday Evening Post covers, and responsible for

cementing our images of Santa Claus and New Year’s Baby.

Bob Peak

Another advertising illustrator, Bob Peak is most known for his movie poster art, hence

his title as the “father of the modern movie poster”. I like to look at his advertising and editorial

magazine art for fashion inspiration though because of his bold colors and large use of patterns.

There is a strong Coles Phillips influence in all of his work but it is somewhat opposite. Instead

of the form of the body being faded into the background, the facial features are faded, and all you

see is the clothes or accessories being advertised. Many of his advertisements appeared in four of

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the Seven Sisters- magazines that used illustrations frequently from as early as the 1800’s to the

early 1990’s. His collage effect, which was drawing something within another object, is another

technique that used by some fashion illustrators and lots of comic artists. Peak’s mentality on his

art and seeing art as business is a philosophy that I respect and heavily admire, although it is

somewhat shallow. Peak drew for money, thought and often demanded that he should get paid a

great deal for his talent and hard work. Who wouldn’t agree with that?

Erté

Russian-born Romain de Tirtoff, or Erté as he was commonly known as, was a

flamboyant and foremost costume and stage designer in the Art Deco period. Born in St.

Petersburg, Erte’s flair for dramatic design was present even as a child. He created his first

successful costume design when he was five years old, and his determination to draw fashion

surpassed his father’s wishes for him to join the Russian military. Erté moved to Paris in 1912

and gained a contract with Harper’s Bazaar, who he continued to draw for, for twenty-two years.

What Erté is most reminded fore is his glorious designs for costumes and set designs for the

stage, most notably Folies-Bergére in Paris, and George White’s Scandals in New York. Patrons

and viewers alike loved his appreciation of the sinuous and lyrical human figure. In his drawings,

all of the dancers are in constant movement, and their entire costumes feature plenty of detail.

The simple flat shapes of color add to Erte’s strong composition, and I love the elegant

dramaticism of his pieces.

René Grau

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Born Count Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate in 1910, Rimini, Italy, Rene Grau’s

career was as grand and lengthy as his name. He had always lived a glamorous life, jet-setting to

different posh hotels with his mother when his parents divorced when he was three. Grau wanted

to be an architect, but his family’s future financial woes prevented him from doing so. He

became an a fashion illustrator by the advice and guidance of an Italian magazine editor, and by

the age of eighteen, he was already living comfortably by selling his work to different Italian,

English and German magazines. When fascism started to rise in Italy during World War I, Grau

moved to Paris with his mother, and continued his career there. His work brought him in contact

with designers such as Balenciaga and Schiaparelli, and also met Christian Dior, who would

continue to be his best patron and business partner for more than fifty years. Le Figaro, a

Parisian newspaper Grau was working for, sent him to Cannes during WWII to see the many

fashion house subsidiaries that resided there. Grau was bored with the designers that he saw, and

was soon elated when Dior asked him to help launch his revolutionary “New Look” campaign in

1947. The simple yet highly evocative style of Grau’s was perfect for the moment and set the

mood for the campaign, and the advertisements were highly popular. Grau came to live in the

United States for a while in 1948, but soon left because he thought there was a lack in artistic

expression.

Along with illustrations for Dior, Grau also provided illustrations for different opera

productions such as Moulin rouge, and advisements for many opera houses. Less is more

perfectly describes Grau’s style, which is direct, uncluttered and supremely simple. He has a

trademark of only revealing one body part of his subjects, usually a gloved arm or shapely ankle.

These designs of his are wittily erotic and give the onlooker plenty to scope on their own.

Spontaneity is another major characteristic of his work, with a casual hastiness that many have

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tried to mimic. I love his uses of strong colors in the foreground, and deep yet bold colors in the

background, such as using deep browns and blacks and vivid reds. Grau’s illustration always told

a story, his characters and models full of life, and composition bursting with cinematic, dramatic

tension. He also uses his architectural background in his framing and composition, giving his

work a graphic and modern feel.

The Heavy hitters

. From the 1950’s to the late eighties, fashion illustration was a classy and effective way

to show the mastery and dramatic flair of clothes through illustration. Before the age of fashion

models and photography, it was fashion illustration that dominated magazines like Woman’s

Wear Daily, Harper’s Bazaar and W. Instead of the quirky spot illustration, there were entire

spreads dedicated to these particular artists drawing for major fashion houses. They are seen as

the most influential, and all share a passion for color, style and most importantly, attitude.

Kenneth Paul Block

Kenneth Paul Block made his mark after graduating from Parsons School of Design as a

famous fashion illustrator, and is probably the most influential. He was witnessed and was one of

the first fashion artists to record one of the most important periods in fashion history: the post

war shift. He was the first on the fashion scene as a in house illustrator for Fairchild Publications,

and drew covers for major magazines like W and Women’s Wear Daily, and drew for major

fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. He was also the first to

document new fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs Perry Ellis and Halston. His fluid pen and

ink drawings with watercolor have a clear concise form and communicate the line in the body

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perfectly. Block later turned to portraiture, drawing portraits of society ladies such as Jackie

Kennedy.

Joe Eula

All the major fashion houses and designers trusted Joe Eula’s talent quick drawing skills,

so it was no surprise that he was one of the most sought after illustrators of his time. Born in

1925, Norwalk, Connecticut, Eula’s prescient instinct and nature eye won the attention of

Halston fashion house, and he became their muse. With his quick, rapid lines and sketchy loose

detail, Eula was considered the fastest pencil in the field, and drew on location at the Paris shows

for Chanel, Givenchy, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent, to name a quick few. His first

illustrations were published in Town and Country. His work was seen as classy, yet held a

deconstructed look that added to the flair and life of the clothes. I admire his use of watercolor

and especially his use of markers, a medium that I love, but is uncommon to use in large scale

pieces.

Antonio

Antonio Lopez, simply known as Antonio, was born in Utado, Puerto Rico, but soon

moved to New York City when he was seven with his parents. His parents often asked him to

help with their jobs in order to keep him off the streets. His mother worked as an embroiderer,

who Antonio drew flowers for. His father worked as a mannequin maker, and Antonio would

help him apply makeup and stitch the wigs on the figures. Wanted to pursue a career in dance,

Antonio got some success by dancing on children’s TV shows, but turned back to drawing.

Extremely talented, Lopez was accepted to the Traphagen School of Fashion at the age of

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twelve, in part of a program that reached out to inner-city school children. Encouraged by his

teachers who saw his love of drawing and design, he attended the High School of Art and Design

and from there was accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology. Lopez’s talent was

extremely appreciated by his teachers, and had a work-study job throughout FIT at Fairchild

Publications. They too soon noticed his flair for women’s heads, and sent him to see the new

season of the Lilly Dache collection in the early 1960’s. One of his drawings soon appeared in

the front page of the paper, and was offered a permanent job. But after six months of working at

Fairchild, Lopez took another offer at the New York Times and from there formed powerful and

long-lasting relationships with fashion editors and designers. His collaboration with fashion

editors Patricia Peterson and Carrie Donovan caused him to explore different art styles, such as

Pop Art and Surrealism. He met designer Juan Ramos, was his lover and business partner

throughout his life. He was also part of the American Pop Art movement in Paris in the 1970’s,

along with legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. His career took him took him to major

cities such as Tokyo, Japan, Sydney, Australia, and Milan, Italy. Unlike other designer’s that I’ve

talked about, Antonio’s drawing style never looks the same, and yet you can tell that it’s his. He

worked in a variety of materials, from pen and ink to watercolor, but in each illustration, the

composition is different. Not many illustrators have this kind of multi-faceted talent, and I think

that’s what so many of his employers and peers in his field saw.

David Downton

David Downton did not plan on being a fashion illustrator, but because of his style, he

was asked to do certain fashion sketches, and then found himself immersed the fantasy world of

couture. Born in Britain, Downton had been a freelance illustrator for fifteen years before he

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turned to fashion in 1996. He was sent to draw at a Parish haute couture show, and was soon

blown away by what he called the parallel universe of indulgence. He saw fashion as inspiring

and a lot to draw. Anything could catch his eye, and he would draw dozens of sketches on layout

paper before he would settle on a concrete idea. Then, when he considered the drawing just right,

he would begin a process to meticulously deconstruct the composition so that the artwork has a

spontaneous effect. He considered this the hardest part of his drawing process. What I really

admire about Downton’s illustrations is his flat shapes and color and very little line, which is

very reminiscent of Coles Phillips’ technique, but applied in the world of fashion illustration. His

drawing style is dark and dramatic, and all of his successful drawings have fluidity and a mastery

of his choice of medium. I especially admire his work in watercolor and gouache, saturated cut-

paper college drawings, and his line drawings in black India ink.

Current Stars

Now that we are in the age of photography and scantily clad models, fashion illustration

is not as affluent as it once was. Fashion illustration is not seen as a need for fashion houses, and

the work is very infrequent. Also, most of the fashion work I see today I do not like, because

either I don’t like the style or it is just some junk drawn on a photograph in Photoshop, which I

don’t really see as art. These artists managed to have artistic talent that also uses fashion, and a

strong attitude that I admire and want to live up to.

Marguerite Sauvage

Marguerite Sauvage, an illustrator based in Paris, is definitely a girl after my own heart.

In business since 2001, Sauvage’s chic modern illustration feature the illustrious lifestyle of

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today’s trendsetters, and most of them happen to be girls wearing hot clothes. Her colorful

drawings, which are usually composed by pencils and inks and colored in Photoshop, have

caught the attention of major magazines like Elle, and heavily in demand for companies such as

Playstation, Apple, and Motorola. Her artwork has been published and exposed overseas in

various fields. Marguerite uses new technology in a traditional way that is stylish yet accessible

and understandable to other people, and in my opinion is part of the new information age of

fashion illustration. She has a strong graphic approach to fashion illustration that appeals to

different markets, and her style is full of heavy patterns, pastel colors, and a strong sense of

character and attitude in every girl she draws. The way she uses patterns is very remiscent of Bob

Peak’s style, and her mentality on art is another that I respect and agree with. “Happiness and

anti-stress: I just want to make things prettier.” Sauvage has definitely accomplished this.

Jason Brooks

Jason Brooks’ style almost looks like a comic book, with his sharp two-dimensional

edges, flat shapes and minimal shading. It is a pleasantly graphic approach to illustration, and

many of his clients, which include L’Oreal, Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola, and music bands Fierce

Angle and Hekandi, love his technological approach to illustration. Brooks is credited with being

one of the first fashion illustrators to fully embrace using computer art programs such as

Photoshop. Jason also illustrates extremely detailed interiors and album covers. His glamorous

way of portraying lifestyles promote business for many lifestyle and luxury brands, and his

unique imagination also establish a visual language all of his own that has lead him to begin

developing his own brand.

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François Berthoud

Based in Milan, Berthoud’s illustrations can be commonly seen in magazines like Vogue,

The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine and Numero. His advertising work is used for

department store campaigns, cosmetic brands and numerous fashion designers. Francois

Berthoud’s style is a combination of Grau, Coles Phillips and Bob Peak all rolled into one

fashionable package. He draws various body parts clad in sexy boots and stilettos, and figures

clad in flowing dresses. Berthoud also has a trademark of painting compositions in

monochromatic tones, which provides a classy alternative to different valued pieces from other

artists.

Conclusion

Many of these fashion artists’ style are different, but all of them share a need to

expression fashion in an artistic light. From tradition pen and ink to using layers in Photoshop,

all of these illustrators demonstrate dedication to their field, expert draftsmanship, and a strong

will to succeed at something that they love to do.

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Gallery

Charles Dana Gibson

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Coles Phillips

Bob Peak

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J.C. Leyendecker

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Erté

Rene Grau

Kenneth Paul Block

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Joe Eula

Antonio

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David Downton

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Marguerite Sauvage

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Jason Brooks

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Francois Bethoud

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"Community Activities." SUNY Ulster. 1 Oct 2004.

http://www.sunyulster.edu/_media/campus_life/nytsm (accessed Nov 15, 2008).

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"ERTÉ.COM." SevenArts Limited. http://www.erte.com/default-old.htm (accessed Nov 17, 2008).

"François Berthoud.com." Katja Martinez Agency. http://www.francoisberthoud.com/ (accessed Nov 17, 2008).

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Daveh, Mr.. "EXPERIMATION." Blogger. 4 Feb 2008. http://experimation.blogspot.com/2008/02/jc-leyend (accessed Nov 19, 2008).

de Guardiola, Susan. "Elegant Arts.org." 12 May 2004. http://www.elegantarts.org/1905/dances.htm (accessed Nov 16, 2008).

Downton, David. "David Downton.com." David Downton. http://www.daviddownton.com/html/fashionillus.htm (accessed Nov 16, 2008).

Glenville, Tony. "David Downton.com." David Downton. http://www.daviddownton.com/html/interview.htm

Hubauer, Margarethe. "Margarethe Hubauer International Illustration." http://www.margarethe-hubauer.de/dw/kuenstler.php/ (accessed Nov 18, 2008).

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Nesbit, Evelyn. "EvelynNesbit.com." Evelyn Nesbit. 1999. http://evelynnesbit.com/picsengibson.htm (accessed Nov 15, 2008).

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Reed, Walt The Illustrator in America: 1860-2000.. 2003.

Sauvage, Marguerite. "Dans un Champ: Les Gribouilles de Marguerite." Marguerite Sauvage. Feb 2008. http://margueritesauvage.com/blog/?page_id=2 (accessed Nov 12, 2008).

Sonnenburg, Axel. "The Opera-Gloved Fashion Illustrations of Rene Gruau." Opera Gloves.com. http://www.operagloves.com/fashion/renegruau/reneg (accessed Nov 15, 2008).

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