Fashion illustration

History

Fashion illustration has been around for nearly 500 years. Ever since clothes have existed, there has been a need to translate an idea or image into a visual representation. Not only do fashion illustrations show a representation or design of a garment but they also serve as a form of art. The majority of fashion illustrations were created to be seen at a close range, often requiring the illustrator to have an eye for detail. Fashion illustration is said to be a visual luxury. In recent years, fashion illustration has seen a revival through social media platforms, where independent artists have gained visibility by sharing their work digitally. More recently, there has been a decline of fashion illustration from the late 1930s when Vogue began to replace its celebrated illustrated covers with photographic images. This was a major turning point in the fashion industry. Laird Borrelli, author of Fashion Illustration Now states,

Fashion illustration differs from the fashion plate in that a fashion plate is a reproduction of an image, such as a drawing or photograph, for a magazine or book. Fashion illustrations can be made into fashion plate, but a fashion plate is not itself an original work of illustration.

In the modern day fashion illustrations are seen more as interpretations of garments rather than exact replicas. Illustrators have more freedom when working for themselves rather than for magazines, that valued realism over the illustrator's creative liberties.

Process of Fashion Illustration

Designers use mediums such as gouache, marker, pastel, and ink to convey the details of garments and the feeling invoked by the artist. With the rise of digital art, some artists have begun to create illustrations using Adobe Photoshop or an application such as Procreate. There are two main purposes for fashion illustration: design communication and artistic expression. For design communication, artists frequently begin with a sketch of a figure called a croquis, and build a look on top of it. The artist takes care to render the fabrics and silhouettes used in the garment. They typically illustrate clothing on a figure with exaggerated 9-head proportions. The artist will typically find samples of fabric, or swatches, to imitate in their drawing. When illustrating for artistic expression, accurate proportion and faithful rendering of textiles takes a back seat to dramatic usage of color and line to convey movement.

Notable fashion illustrators

Notable active illustrators

• Caroline Andrieu
• Tina Berning
• Bil Donovan
• David Downton
• Mats Gustafson
• Laura Laine
• Connie Lim
• Meagan Morrison
• Antonio Soares
• Julie Verhoeven

Notable illustrators of the past

• Malo-Renault (1870–1938)
• George Barbier (1882–1932)
• Paul Iribe (1883–1935)
• Carl 'Eric' Erickson (1891–1958)
• 'Erté' Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990)
• Christian Bérard (1902–1949)
• Max Hoff (1903–1985)
• Ruth Sigrid Grafstrom (1905–1986)
• Dagmar Freuchen (1907–1991)
• Rene Gruau (1909–2004)
• Irwin Crosthwait (1914–1981)
• Lila De Nobili (1916–2002)
• Bernard Blossac (1917–2002)
• Kenneth Paul Block (1924–2009)
• Andy Warhol (1928–1987)
• Antonio Lopez (1943–1987)
• Joel Resnicoff (1948–1986){{Cite book
• Tony Viramontes (1956-1988)

References

References

1. "Fashion Illustration from the 16th Century to Now - Illustration History".
2. Drake, Nicolas. (1994). "Fashion Illustration Today (Revised Edition)," Thames & Hudson Ltd., London. (p 7).
3. Holt, Emily. (October 28, 2019). "Fashion Illustration Is Having a Moment—Again".
4. Borrelli, Laird. (2000). "Fashion Illustration Now," Thames & Hudson Ltd., London. (p 6-175).
5. [https://manicmetallic.com/personalities/a-brief-history-of-fashion-illustrators-why-they-matter-and-a-few-to-check-out/ a brief history of fashion illustrators, why they matter, and a few to check out], manicmetallic.com
6. "Don't stop until you drop. Caroline Andrieu talks drawing with Patrick Morgan".
7. "Bil Donovan 1953 –".
8. "Grasping the Essence".
9. "Interview with fashion illustrator Laura Laine".
10. (28 February 2022). "MEET CONNIE LIM, FASHION ILLUSTRATOR AND AWARD-WINNING ARTIST".
11. (15 September 2016). "Fashion Returns to the Drawing Board". The New York Times.
12. (12 February 2021). "Love is a strange place".