I’m totally in love with the tumblr “Handcrafted in Virginia”. It’s full of toasty rustic interiors, moody landscapes and there’s even a bit of spice thrown in. Perfect inspiration to embrace winter with!
So cuddle up with some mulled wine and enjoy:
I was reminded today that posts have been a little sparse of late. So I thought it was about time I showed you what I’ve been up to the last three months.
One of the assignments at LCF was to compose a blog where all our written pieces could sit – an umbrella, one could say, with a central theme. Not an easy task, when your interviewing whoever you can get hold of, and just hoping that you might come across some tenuous link that might tie them altogether!
Finally I decided on the theme ‘All in the Detail’. See what you think?
This was my feature which, as you can see, was right up my street! You might even recognise a few of my usual suspects! Enjoy…..
Fashion has a new hero in town and they are proving to be quite the chameleon. With luxe and high street brands discovering they can conjure up their perfect muse, fashion illustration is experiencing a renaissance.
The ends of her hair are literally dripping in ink, great globules of thick black oil, fingers holding the edges of her skirt, a flamenco affair. Her eyes are sunken and apart from her velvet jacket, she doesn’t look in the mood for frivolity. In fact she looks like she has something much darker in mind.
In what gothic fantasy has this women appeared from? H&M, Zara and Elle, to name but a few. This is the world of Laura Laine, fashion illustrator from Helsinki, whose lock-laden creatures have slithered their way onto high-street t-shirts, via the pages of The New York Times. She’s in good company too. Take Prada, who not only published a book last year featuring menswear illustrations by Richard Haines, but then subsequently used those illustrations as part of a unique mobile app, involving a virtual tour of “La Palazzo” Prada. Or Chloe, who chose Sandra Suy to celebrate their 60th anniversary in a series of fresh and radiant illustrations. From cutting edge technology, to the sheer beauty of the hand drawn, fashion illustration is catching the eye of every creative in town.Click to view slideshow.
Who should be championing the cause but fashion’s favourite trailblazing photographer, Nick Knight.
” Fashion illustration has been enjoying a renaissance in the digital age” he said, “thanks to the skills of a young, tech savvy generation of illustrators”.
As founder and director of Showstudio, an online platform promoting creative expression in the fashion industry, Knight recently endorsed this resurgence by commissioning seven illustrators to interpret catwalk looks from key designer labels.
This isn’t a new bandwagon mind you. Fashion illustration reached its zenith in the early twentieth century, most memorably by Erté, on the front covers of Harpers Bazaar. But as Ria Hawthorn explains, curator of the exhibition “Drawing Fashion” at the London Design Museum, “it went through an enormous decline, certainly after Condé Nast discovered around 1932 that photographs on the cover of magazines sold a lot better.”
With photography emerging as the favoured medium, fashion illustration experienced a swift transition to the domain of advertising with Gruau’s sophisticated images dominating the scene in the 40’s and 50’s, and Antonio Lopez in the 70’s. It was the nineties and the rise of the digital age that really put fashion illustration in the shade. As illustrator Sara Singh explains, “When I began my career in the mid-90’s I was told that this wasn’t really a profession any more”. So why is the spotlight turning back onto the art of drawing, when the market is saturated with the latest photography apps and social media encourages us to instantly reportage every moment of our lives?Click to view slideshow.
Perhaps it starts with the word saturated. “I think it’s the quality of photos in major magazines right now. They are just…boring,” suggests Marcus Khan, founder of fashion illustration site Draw A Dot. Robert Richards, curator of “The Line of Fashion”, in Manhattan agrees. “Photographs are beginning to look alike – a camera can only see what it sees”. Is it perhaps that the fickle finger of fashion has decided that photography has become too mainstream?
Sue Dray, illustrator and course leader at the London College of Fashion chuckles sagely at this suggestion. “Fashion illustration has become a novelty again because it’s new to a whole generation of people. Handcrafted techniques are very fashionable at the moment, it’s all part of being unique and different”. Tony Glenville, author of “New Icons in Fashion Illustration”, agrees, “We are currently re-discovering craft and technique and seeking to preserve skills – that were in danger of disappearing”.
“At London Fashion Week I attracted more attention drawing than the clothes themselves.”, Dray recalls. “Everyone wants to see you drawing, there’s magic in it. It gathers people round, it’s like witnessing something really quite special”.
It’s a fundamental point. Yes, we’re a fickle and perverse lot who love something novel, whether it be genuinely new or not. Would sketching at a fashion show be a spectacle in 1930? Possibly not? But the key is in the “magic”. As Tony Glenville explains “you can give people all the tools but they have to have a special something”. And that something is capturing the mood and creating an individual expression which has the big brand boys banging down the doors.
In her introduction to “Fashion Drawing” Michele Wesen Bryant writes “A fashion drawing is a bit like a fairytale, an imaginative invention that incorporates just enough reality to tell a convincing story”. Cecilia Carlstedt depicts eclectic glamour, bold and graphic. Emma Leonard specialises in melancholy girls, “if you say something that really pleases them, they just might give you the hint of a smile” she jests. “However, that is very rare!” As Tony Glenville explains, often it comes down to timing and perfect collaborations. “Italian Vogue and Mats [Gustfson] were such a perfect partnership where everything came together.” And the result of such harmony? “The illustrator can conjure up the feeling, the atmosphere, the persona that is being projected. It can conjure up a lifestyle,” remarks Sue Dray.Click to view slideshow.
This is what the mega brands are buying into or, as William Ling at The Fashion Illustration Gallery succinctly explains, ”Fashion illustration is commissioned by the world’s leading creative directors in order to create a point of difference and unique take on the collections they are working with, from competing visual communications”. A difference that Danny Roberts, a Californian illustrator, knows only too well. After studying photography at college he realized “it was going to be hard to distinguish myself with a camera.” So, after swapping his camera for a pencil case, he is now renowned for his maverick caricatures of the movers and shakers in the fashion world.
Roberts is indicative of the new breed of fashion illustrator. He has collaborated with Forever 21 in creating his own line in t-shirts, his landscapes feature on the derby shoes of Wells and Stellberger and illustrations feature on canvas totes, satchels and hooded sweatshirts for Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers. “The work I’m doing now is a kind of roundabout way of getting there”, he says “ I’ll probably start my own label eventually.” The role of the fashion illustrator is ever diversifying.
Look at blogger Garance Doré, whose popularity is as much to do with her girly repertoire as it is about the illustrations that accompany them. Designs, which, you can now buy as original art prints or as posters, with a special section reserved for future collaborations. Notice a trend?
“Designers are calling on illustrators to design just about everything, from in-store graphics and brochures to the window display,” says Lucie Muir at the New York Times.
And, ironically, the digital age, which once prompted a decline in fashion illustration, is now driving its popularity. From direct selling platforms such as Etsy, to YouTube tutorials, anyone can purchase their own illustration or indeed create their own. As lecturer at the London College of Fashion, Ana Stankovic-Fitzgerald puts it “Easy access to user-friendly technology is changing the way [that] fashion illustration is created and who by; and at the same time increasing it’s potential audience”.
With Photoshop and Illustrator providing a myriad of styles, from other-worldly luminousness to minimal lines, digital illustrators, such as Jason Brooks and Autumn Whitehurst, are making a name for themselves in their own right. So, it’s no surprise to discover that Sue Dray recently held an open workshop for students at the Apple store in Covent Garden, on digital artwork and how to draw on an iPad. “Even if it’s being done on a computer it doesn’t take away the fact that it’s a handcrafted piece of work,” she says.Click to view slideshow.
Tablets and apps are one thing but if we look to Nick Knight and his group of visionaries, film is the future. Garance Doré agrees, “Video is the future of the internet” she says “so it is really something that is worth exploring”. Fashion illustrators are already prepared - Julie Verhoeven is illustrating music videos, Tanya Ling and Jo Ratcliffe are designing animated films for Louis Vuitton and Kenzo; and Tara Dougans is using the power of the GIF to amplify the experience of her illustrations.
These mass-medium illustrations are depictions of our times. “Capturing the ephemeral world of fashion creates a document of our society and the times in which we live” writes Tony Glenville. “Often the seemingly inconsequential drawings and portraits of fashion illustrators tell us more about our values and lifestyle choices”. Just as today’s illustrations portray our obsession with cross platform communication, yesterdays emulate the vibrant pop art scene, before that the decadent decades of the Ballet Russes. “I believe it’s all tied together,” affirms Ria Hawthorn. “If the illustrations are exciting then they will capture the spirit of the age”.
So while the game remains the same, it’s the rules that keep changing. For Richards Haines and co, diversification comes in the form of video, animation, and virtual apps. ”It’s a wonderful part of modern story telling” he says. For Erté and Gruau, it involved theatre sets and costume design. And the name of the game? Sue Dray smiles, “ we are always looking for a new way of beguiling people”.
Rather loving these moody, vintage pics from The Gifts of Life tumblr. I love that indian sheer top – can that really be vintage? If so please can it make it’s way to Syd’s Vintage in Kirkdale so I can purchase it?
Stepping into the world of Rimel Neffati is like watching everything through a cloud of charcoal and starlight. The images could almost be illustrations in their surreality. But how magical are they – as if unearthed from some fantasy circus?
Definitely one to explore further…
Happy New Year!
So here she is. My major project. ‘The Showgirl’ magazine which I’ve been working on for the last month. Now you know why I’ve been so quiet.
If you click on the image it will take you to the magazine! I hope you like it.
Big thank you to Amanda, Annia, Linda, James, Kevin, Lee, Miranda and Sarah for the photoshoot. Boy do I need a drink! Cxx
Meet Fifi Lapin. You might have seen her about – mainly at fashion shows. As blogs go this is inspired – taking fashion illustration to a new level. Love, love, love…..
Snowy is sitting on my lap right now and asking why I haven’t designed a Chanel/ Prada wardrobe for her!
Are you lacking passion in your life? If so, the Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells starts next week, so if you haven’t got your tickets yet, get cracking!
I was lucky enough to do a Q&A with Sara Baras for the Sadler’s Wells blog Londondance.com. Sara, renowned for bringing a vibrant, contemporary, style-conscious edge to the passion and drama of traditional flamenco, will be opening the festival this Saturday. It’s sure to be an incredible treat.
So to get your taste buds going here’s the Q&A and a few flamenco inspired fashion pics…
Sara, what do you love about flamenco?
I love the freedom of flamenco dance. It has a wide language without having to forget your roots.
..and how do you think your style of dancing has changed over the years?
I haven’t stopped learning in all that time – and I still do, of course! It’s thanks to the characters, choreographers, theatres, shows and projects that keep the experience alive.
Flamenco is different to other forms of dancing in that maturity is celebrated and revered. That must be a wonderful feeling?
Yes, you feel like you’re growing. Your dance becomes more mature, with more sense of purpose and with more artistic weight. You have a lot more fun!
Do you ever feel that performing in such large venues rather than tableos affects the intimacy of the performance?
No, I don’t think so. I think flamenco can be adapted to any space.
And what about spontaneity and innovation, which are considered so essential to flamenco? Do you feel that it’s difficult to convey such attributes in a well-rehearsed production?
With flamenco there’s a place for everything. Improvisation comes into play when you let yourself go, not only with your dancing but also when you’re singing or playing the guitar.
How do you put together a production? There are so many threads – costumes, storyline, music and choreography – how do you tie it all in together?
The first thing is to research – to read, to travel and to dream about it. The next step is to create a script illustrating the storyline, the message, style and the texture etc. Once you’ve put together a good team it comes down to just hours of hard work and rehearsing!
In previous productions you’ve drawn inspiration from historic Spanish females. Does La Pepa draw on the same influences?
Flamenco is a very rich art form. It gives you the freedom to perform any type of character. In La Pepa the opinions of the citizens are represented by the main female character.
So what is La Pepa about?
It’s about Cadiz, which is my hometown. The name refers to the Spanish Constitution of Cadiz, regarded as Spain’s first constitution. It was signed on 19 March, which in Spain is Saint Joseph’s Day or La Pepa (a nickname for Josephine).
The show recreates scenes from the 1800s until the present day, using the constitutional monument in the Plaza de España as the focal point. It commemorates the horror of the war, the importance of a historical constitution – hope, happiness, life and freedom.
I know your a great lover of fashion, how important are costumes in the flamenco experience and at what stage do you start thinking about what form they should take?
Each person has a specific order in which they like to work. Sometimes a feeling can come right at the start of a new piece of work. In my case, the first costume ideas come from the choreography, then the music, the scenography and the lighting. For me it is very important to tie these together, it helps you to dream, and to make the audience dream!!
Thank you Sara
Images: Sara Baras, Kate Moss for Vogue Espana 2012, Laura Ponte for Vogue Espana 1998, Julia Stegner for Vogue Germany December 2008.
So just imagine having this little appartamento in Rome with views of the Medici palace, the Spanish Steps and the Vatican. Ciao bello…….
Images: Fabrizio Ciccioni/Living Inside
I’m wild again, beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Lanvin AW14
Ann Demeulemeester AW14
Lanvin AW14
Ann Demeulemeester AW14
Lanvin AW14
I wasn’t intending on writing another post about Paris fashion week but I’ve been bitten by the bug!
For any vintage aficionado Maison Martin Margiela’s AW14 collection was just full of inspiration - and a real direction change from previous seasons. Tweed and vintage slips – what more can a girl ask for? Long may it last!
Captured in such intricate detail, you could be forgiven for thinking Michael Carson was a photographer not a painter!
“I paint people because I have always had a serious addiction to watching people. I try to get that feel in my paintings. As if I am just watching people doing everyday things in my work. I love the subtle ways that a single brush stroke can create such subtleties in facial expression. I spend most of my time on the face and hands. They tell the story or create an interesting pose.”
From paintings that look like photographs to photographs that look like paintings. Enter the world of Carl Bengtsson.
Incredible eh?
Fancy a victorian verandah, a rolled top bath, just a stone’s throw from your bedside? Then check out this stunning Australian 1860s miner’s cottage styled by Kali Cavanagh. Sometimes you just can’t beat period features…
Photography by Armelle Habib
Nestled in the olive groves of Southern Italy stands a traditional stone lamia with a difference. Renovated by architect Marco Constanzi, original dusty pink pietra di Lecce stone shimmers under starry beams of light. Enjoy…
Photography: Mads Mogensen
There seem to be a lot of blogs out there with an emphasis on personal style right now. But ironically it sometimes feels like everyone looks the same.
Closetvisit, however, has really grabbed my attention. Firstly, I’m happy to say that these are visits into real closets (and even happier to say that some are as chaotic as my own). Secondly, there’s a broad age spectrum and an even broader range of styles. Something for everyone no less. I’m totally hooked….
Other Stories have just released their online spring summer fashion story, featuring a bohemian parisian in an amazing apartment…..who happens to be slightly unhinged! But never mind that…look at the clothes. They are oh so good.
Apparently there is a subtext, which points to the changes that need to be made to the way in which women are portrayed both in, and by the fashion industry. Hmmm…think I missed that bit – probably too busy looking at the clothes!
These 1930′s nudes by Russian photographer Alexander Grinberg very nearly didn’t survive. As a celebrated photographer teaching at the Moscow Society of Photographers he was imprisoned in a labour camp for five years, during the Stalinist regime, for producing work described as “dangerous to society”. Fortunately for us his older brother hid the negatives and his beautiful images live on.
Grinberg witnessed the Russian Revolution, the Civil War, two World Wars and the Stalinist repression. He died at the ripe old age of 94. Inspiration for us all!
I love this apartment in Madrid, belonging to photographer Manolo Yllera. You’d have to be pretty confident in your freestyle doodling to go to town on your walls though. But I guess thats what white paint is for – let the game’s begin!
Images by Manolo Yllera
Nobody did glamour like Anita Ekberg. Like a slinky silver fox she sashayed her way across the screen. Never will a sweetheart bust-line ever look so good!
