Facts from the history of fashion illustration

Before plunging into the world of fashion illustration, I suggest you familiarize yourself

with its history a bit. I have selected ten of the most interesting events related to fashion

images.

Fact 1

According to one version, the forerunners of fashion illustration were engravings by the

Czech master Vaclav Hollar, dating back to the 17th century. Among the variety of themes

that the graphic artist implemented in his work, he also created a series of drawings of

women's costumes using the etching technique. According to another version, it is believed

that noble dandies and fashionistas began to be depicted as early as the 16th century - the

Italian artist Cesare Vecellio painted representatives of different strata of society in outfits

characteristic of their status.

Fact 2

In 1672, the first fashion magazine, Le Mercure galant, was published in France. And along

with it, such a thing as fashion illustration appears. It was the drawings of outfits that adorned

the pages of the magazine, because there were a couple of centuries before the invention of

photography. However, the main task of fashion-illustration was not so much aesthetic as

advertising - each drawn outfit could be purchased in a store. Fashionistas liked the

magazines and were wildly popular. So the development of fashion illustration began to gain

momentum.

Fact 3

In the 19th century, fashion illustration acquired color. Various shades conveyed the texture

of fashionable fabrics and emphasized the whiteness of the skin. The image turned out much

more clearly, because before that artists had to describe in words the color and style of each

outfit in the picture.

Fact 4

Gibson Girl is the name given to a 19th-century fashion phenomenon. Fashion illustrations by

Charles Gibson were not only popular, but they also became the first American ideal of a

woman and the standard of beauty. All women wanted to be like these unreal beauties. They

were imitated, admired, and idolized. The Gibson Girls were even endowed with a special

character and area of interest. What difference does it make what brand of clothing the

fictional model is dressed up in, to become like her ... Doesn't it remind you of anything?

Fact 5

The actual heyday of fashion illustration began to emerge at the beginning of the 1910s.

Along with fashion designers, artists also become famous. Illustrations by Charles Gibson,

Roman Tyrtov, Erte, and Georges Lepape grace the pages of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and

Cosmopolitan. Now not only drawings are created according to ready-made models, but the

clothes themselves are sewn according to the illustrations of artists. For example, bloomers

and turbans, which Leon Bakst created for Diaghilev's Russian Seasons ballets, were copied

by a couturier in Paris.

Fact 6

René Gruault is considered by many to be the king of fashion illustration of the 20th

century. The artist worked with Christian Dior. And it was he who first conveyed the line of

the famous new look silhouette.

Fact 7

In the 20th century, photography began to replace drawings in fashion magazines. Now you

can sell a product using an image much more clearly and quickly. But the profession of a

fashion illustrator has not sunk into oblivion. And in the 21st century, it completely received

its rebirth. Today, fashion illustration is more relevant than ever - like a breath of fresh air on

the pages of an already familiar magazine.

Fact 8

Outrageous Salvador Dali also had a hand in fashion illustration. Yes, yes, his surreal

fashionistas graced the covers and pages of Vogue. So fashion illustration is not just an

advertising drawing, but an independent branch of art.

Fact 9

Fashion and caricature - these two concepts are skillfully combined by the modern

illustrator Alessandro Palombo. He does not seek to create in his drawings an ideal world

with the taste of dolce vita, on the contrary, he ridicules these anorexic trends and the cult of

fashion. All high-profile events and famous people of the fashion industry are reflected in the

works of Palombo. And this is one of the great examples of how you can find your niche and

stand out from the competition. True, some believe that recently Palombo has slipped into

toilet humor. Rebellion is good, but in moderation.