History of Fashion Illustration:
In the 1900's fashion illustration seemed more elaborate and decadent and then as the war arrived fashion became more practical due to the women needing to be of service. The illustrations look stripped back and simpler for some publications but for others they remained more artistic and colourful. The 1920's saw the rise of fashion illustration as top illustrators were hired to produce high quality artwork for magazines such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue for advertising and cover art. This however didn't last as soon photography began to take over the illustrated covers. Photographs were used more and more in these magazines and sales took over from the previously illustrated ones.
The first world war had a great impact not only on the styles of fashion but also the attitudes of women. Now they were needed for the war efforts and gained some what of independence the changes in style were seen and a more streamlined look appeared, with women cutting their hair much shorter and going for shorter linear skirts.
The second world war also impacted fashion, styles were once again simpler and but designers wanted a softer look for women adding in more flouncy sleeves and elaborate patterns. The 50's continued the rise in ready to wear fashion and by the 60's teenagers were no longer wearing clothes like their parents and instead building their own fashions. The mini skirt was born, bold colours and designers targeting teenagers for a new era of fashion.
The 70's saw an even bigger change in fashion as individuality was now 'in' and your clothes were a reflection of the person's taste. Men started taking more interest in what they wore and ranges of men's knitwear came into being.
The 80's was the era for power dressing. As more women entered the workplace, more clothing was needed for everyday work wear. Wide padded shoulders and more masculine tailoring became fashionable.
It is clear that the society changes have been seen directly in the changes in fashion over the decades. Women once at home and dressed to impress when going out changed dramatically as women gained their independence and were able to start working for themselves. As the decades have gone on the independence of women has seen fashion become more of a statement at work and outside of work.
Whilst the illustrations in magazines may have changed into more photographic pics, fashion illustration was still used over the years in different publications.
When starting this research task I immediately thought of sewing patterns. The iconic illustrations show on the fronts of these patterns are a great example of the style of fashion changing and therefore the illustrations changing also. The way an illustrator expresses the faces of the models has changed over the years from more detailed portraits to much simpler line drawings.
Modern day fashion illustration is very bold, sometimes dramatic and even grotesque. There are no boundaries in the way illustrators convey their models. Referencing recent years in the '100 years of Fashion Illustration' book by Cally Blackman the changes are dramatic. It would seem women are no longer celebrated for their bodies and the elegance that was once shown in fashion illustration has now been replaced by torment, harrowing experiences and abuse clearly shown in works such as Grayson Perry's 'Christian Lacroix for Spoon' combining the headlines of the London bombings with the fashion collection. David Remfry's Stella McCartney illustrations in 2002 are another example of how women's fashion illustration has been degraded and the vulgarity seems to now be celebrated.
Whilst fashion illustration has always been a reflection of the times we live in, the dignity has always been there. Modern day illustration has done away with this in certain circles and it is a sign of the times that there is a huge lack of respect for privacy and boundaries.
There are of course some modern day fashion illustrators that continue to express the elegance of women's fashion in their designs. Steven Stipleman - Black dress, is a beautiful example of the elegant woman in her tulle black dress. It is illustrated like an oil painting with a modern edge. David Downton Original illustration for Christian Lacroix. A stunning teal dress, showing all the folds and beading detail and then the model's face in a faded black ink. Downton says "A total luxury: fashion illustration as it once was."
I think that is the perfect way to sum up the evolution of fashion illustration. It has changed so much over the years and I am glad there are illustrators such as David Downton who see that elegance and beauty should still have their place in fashion illustration today.
Contrasts of illustration style from the same era:
Victor Stiebel - 1960's:
Examples of Fashion Illustration on Sewing Patterns:
References:
Blackman, C., 2017. 100 Years of Fashion. Laurence King Publishing.
Vads.ac.uk. 2022. Sketch Book of 1960 & 1961. [online] Available at: <https://www.vads.ac.uk/digital/collection/LCFVS/id/136/rec/2> [Accessed 10 January 2022].
Delart.org. 2022. Fashion Illustration in the 1920s – Delaware Art Museum. [online] Available at: <https://delart.org/fashion-illustration-in-the-1920s/> [Accessed 10 January 2022].
Harper's BAZAAR. 2022. Coco Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld. [online] Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/g1586/coco-chanel-by-karl-lagerfeld/> [Accessed 10 January 2022].
Museum, V., 2022. Fashion illustration by Veronica Papworth | Papworth, Veronica | V&A Explore The Collections. [online] Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections. Available at: <https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1322367/fashion-illustration-by-veronica-papworth-fashion-illustration-papworth-veronica/> [Accessed 10 January 2022].
Vam.ac.uk. 2022. Fashion Drawing and Illustration in the 20th Century - Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: <http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/f/fashion-drawing-in-the-20th-century/> [Accessed 10 January 2022].
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