Fashion illustration

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Fashion Illustration is the communication of fashion designs through drawing. The main focus is the fashion figure or croquis used for draping the clothing onto. The true female figure measures seven to eight head lengths in height; the fashion figure measures nine to ten head lengths. In fashion drawing the basic proportions of the human form from head to crotch are retained, while extra length is added to the legs to give dramatic stylised effect and give the illustrator's designs more dynamic appeal. The body should be drawn long and slim with squared off shoulders and very unrealistically elongated legs. The body looks extremely out of proportion, as the legs tend to be exaggeratedly long. The waist must drawn very slender.

Not all designers are good illustrators, therefore some of them hire the services of an illustrator.

Fashion Illustration has been around for nearly 500 years. Ever since clothes have been in existence and there was a need to translate an idea or image into a garment there has been a need for fashion illustration. Not only do fashion illustrations show a representation or design of a garment but also served as a form of art. Fashion illustration shows the presence of hand and is said to be a visual luxury; especially today in a world of "24 hour celebrities" (Drake, 9).

More recently, there has been a decline of fashion illustration in the late 1930s when Vogue began to replace its celebrated illustrated covers with photographic images. In the 1960s several leading artists, such as Rene Bouche of Vouge, died (Drake, 7). From the 1960s to the 1980s fashion illustration was still on the decline. Then in the 1980s fashion illustration finally made its comeback, the 1980s were said to be the "boom time" and when fashion illustration took its root (Borrelli, 6).

There are three broad groups designated for the artists of fashion illustration: The Sensualists, Gamines & Sophisticates, and Technocrats. The Sensualists are categorized to be strong, silent, and their work shows the presence of the artist his/herself. The delight in the materials they use such as paints, inks, paper, colors, textures, and they explore the capabilites of those medias (Borrelli, 11). Gamines and Sophisticates create imaginary worlds inhibited by vivid characters. They borrow elements of charicture and cartooning. As a result often translate humor and wit through their work by referencing and rejecting stereotypes of fashion representation (Borrelli, 63). Last there are the Technocrats, they use computers in a way in which are revolutionizing illustration. All of the Technocrats draw but do not end with hand illustration. Technocrats digitally transform illustrations and work towards a final computer generated product (Borrelli, 125).

Fashion Illustration gives the artist the freedom to portray fashion as they wish. Unlike fashion design, there are fewer boundaries in which you can express your artistic point of view opposed to your flawless sewing skills (Drake, 7). Some well known fashion illustrators are Steven Stipelman from WWD (Womens Wear Daily), Jason Brooks- a Technocrat, Jodi Lananda- a Gamine and Sophisticate, and Ruben Toledo- a Sensualist. All which have done work and advertisements for clients such as Vouge, Barney's NY, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue, Apple, Mercedes, and VH1 (Borrelli, 173-5).

[edit] References

• Borrelli, Laird. (2000). "Fashion Illustration Now," Thames & Hudson Ltd., London. (p 6-175).
• Drake, Nicolas. (1994). "Fashion Illustration Today (Revised Edition)," Thames & Hudson Ltd., London. (p 7).