Many believe that fashion is only what one wears, but fashion is also an art form with many different branches. From fashion photography to runway to visual displays to illustration, there are many different careers and medias that fashion belongs to and takes part in.
Fashion illustration is an ancient art form that has been around since clothing. Until the 1930s Vogue would pay different artists to illustrate the cover, and when one went shopping or flipped through a fashion magazine they saw illustrations advertising garments instead of photographs.
Nowadays fashion illustrations have been taken over by fashion photography, but that doesn’t mean illustration doesn’t exist. There are many artists today who call themselves fashion illustrators and create modern work published in magazines and on websites.
Fashion illustration has a whimsical and fairytale-like nature. The artists use many different mediums including paint, drawing and even digital programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Many artists use mixed media to create an imaginative and dreamlike piece, with just enough reality to tell a story. The dreamlike nature of fashion illustration is what sets it apart from photographs.
Cate Parr, Sandra Suy, and Elisa Mazzone are a few of my favorite fashion illustrators. Take a look at their illustrations below and find some inspiration. Not only are they artists, they are also fashion designers who create characters and muses to dress.
Cate Parr Cate Parr uses watercolor to create beautiful dreamlike and glamorous figures. She uses many vibrant colors, making an ethereal experience for the viewer. The expressions of her characters are super realistic, which brings them to life. Her paintings have been featured Vogue and many other magazines. You can find more of Cate’s work here.
Cate Parr is the master of fashion, vibrant colors, and watercolor. Photo collage by Gabi Nelson, photo courtesy Cate Parr website.
Sandra Suy Sandra creates seductive yet elegant fashion illustrations. In college she studied art and fashion, and at one point had her own clothing line. She now creates beautiful illustrations, focusing on defined lines and simple color palettes inspired by her vintage muses. She has illustrated for many designers including Missoni, Chloé and Lanvin. You can find more of Sandra Suys work here.
Sandra Suy is inspired by vintage muses and defined lines. Photo collage by Gabi Nelson, photos courtesy Sandra Suy website.
Elisa Mazzone Elisa Mazzone grew up with many brothers, which may be why she is so fascinated by the womanly form. Her illustrations have a realistic nature but also a fairy tale-sense to them. You can tell she takes the time to develop each character, and being a stylist they always have the right outfit to match their different personalities.
Elisa Mazzone creates fashionable fairy tale like characters. Photo collage by Gabi Nelson, photo courtesy of Elisa Mazzones website.
With any questions, comments or story ideas contact me at gmnelson@asu.edu or on Twitter @gabinelsonlove
