The Design Museum in London held an exhibit called "Drawing Fashion" that showcased fashion illustrations from 1910 to the present. The exhibit highlighted illustrations done for famous designers like Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. It showed how fashion illustration evolved over the decades from advertising clothing in magazines to more artistic pieces. While photography largely replaced illustrations, some couture designers still commission illustrations for their unique perspective on designs. The exhibit provided insight into changing fashion trends and styles over the past century through the art of fashion illustration.

1. AMM401 Cultural Portfolio 2010-11
COVER SHEET for each individual piece of writing
DETAILS
Event: ‘Drawing Fashion Exhibit’, Design Museum, London
Date of Event: 3 November 2010- 6 March 2011
Title of Piece: Fashion Illustrations Exhibit –‘Drawing Fashion’ Design Museum, London
Word count: 868
Publication: Wallpaper.com
Context
Wallpaper is a London based design, interiors, fashion, art and lifestyle magazine, providing readers with
trendsetting international articles. Wallpaper strives to visually stimulate its audience with top notch
photography accompanying print and online articles. In print since 1996, Wallpaper offers content that is
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Wallpaper.com has 5 million impressions per month. Covering the same areas of interest as the print
version, Wallpaper.com has 550,000 unique visitors who stay on the site for an average of 6.6 minutes. The
online version of Wallpaper was launched in 2006 and has a devoted editorial team that updates the
contents of the site on a daily basis.
The fashion section of Wallpaper.com covers the latest news and events while offers editorial content on an
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Please note: This is not a published article. This article was written as part of a course requirement at City
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2. Fashion Illustrations Exhibit –‘Drawing Fashion’
Design Museum, London
The Design Museum’s exhibit, Drawing Fashion
shows the art of fashion illustration from 1910 to the
present, from illustrators who did work for designers
such as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld,
Lanvin and Yohji Yamamoto. Drawing Fashion
showcases this lesser known style of art and offers a peek into how fashion and style
has evolved over the years. From flapper girls in the 1920’s, to suits and hats in the
1930’s, to the sleek and sexy imagery of the modern era, Drawing Fashion offers the
viewer a retrospective look into the way women were perceived to be as well as shining
light on the art of fashion illustration.
The Design Museum has put together what could be viewed as a historical fashion
show by exhibiting these fashion illustrations. Walking through Drawing Fashion is
like walking through the pages of old fashion magazines. The clean aesthetic of the
Design Museum, London Drawing Fashion Exhibition
Drawing Fashion Exhibit designed by Carmody Croake Architects, Design Museum, London

3. exhibits design created by Carmody Groarke Architects with great
consideration for the illustrations and allows the viewer to only focus on the
fashion illustrations and their details.
Since the early half of the 20th
century, fashion illustration has been a way
for artists to showcase not only their talents but to show the style and
dress during that era. In its early inception, fashion drawing was used as a
means of advertising. Before photography became dominant and widely
available, illustrators would create detailed pieces of art to be used to
showcase the latest fashion trends. If you can remember a time before
internet and television, before technology changed the way we receive
information, women in America were able to look at the illustrations in their
fashion magazines and know how the women in Paris dressed. Elite
fashion publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Femina and
L’Officiel relied on these illustrations up until the late 1930’s when
photography became more readily available. Now, the art of fashion
illustration is practiced by few but is still valued and used more by couture
designers to showcase their unique point of view. The illustrators are seen
more as artists, able to produce unique and personalized pieces that both
show off the fashion as well as the illustrator’s individual style.
Looking at an illustration by Christian
Bérard gives the viewer a chance to
see what high fashion was like in 1937.
The elegant woman pictured in the
illustration, wearing a long flowing coat
paired with a floor length draped
evening gown, both designed by
Lanvin, takes the viewer back to 1937
Paris. Much emphasis was put into the
details of the clothing as it was the only
means for those who were not able to
attend the runways shows or go to the
boutique in Paris to see the designs.
During the late 1940’s to early 1950’s
fashion illustration took on a new
appearance. Not only was the style of
dress changing but watercolours began
being used. Magazines like Vogue and
Harpers Bazaar were still on top and
helped promote this new style of
illustration while promoting the new
subcultures like the beatnik movement
and mod.
During the 1980’s, Antonio also known
as the Pied Piper of fashion illustration,
was able to continue the art of fashion
illustration even though by this time it
was hardly used. Antonio worked with
fashion icons such as Jean Paul Gaultier
and Karl Lagerfeld despite the decline in
popularity of fashion illustration,
providing fashion illustrations that were
Christian Bérard for Lanvin 1937
Antonio for Karl Lagerfeld 1972

4. unique and personalized to the specific designers but also expressed his
point of view. His influence on the industry can be seen in a special section
in the exhibition devoted to his work. There is also a video produced by
Fashion Monthly showing how Antonio used live models to inspire him and
help bring his illustrations to life.
Fast forward to the modern era where fashion illustrations have become
more abstract and art like and more about creating a piece of art and less
about advertising and showcasing the latest trends. While the popularity of
fashion illustration has declined, artists
like Mat Gustafson have found a niche
with couture designers who value a
unique and personalized touch.
Gustafson has done work for Yohji
Yamamoto and has been featured in
Vogue Italia in 2001 and Vogue China
in 2010. The section of Drawing
Fashion devoted to the time period of
1990-2010 shows how the ‘cult of the
Individual’ illustrators like Gustafson
and Aurore de la Morinerie have the
artistic freedom to interpret the designs
in their own unique style.
The Design Museum’s exhibit Drawing
Fashion showcases some of the best
fashion illustrations over the decades. The simplicity of the exhibits design,
with its illuminated white walls, allows the illustrations to stand out and pop.
From 1920 Vogue advertisements to 1960’s pop art to the avant garde
illustrations of the modern era, Drawing Fashion offers a look into the
evolution of fashion trends and overview of the changes in fashion
illustration through the decades. The exhibition runs from 3 November
2010 till 6 March 2011. There are also talks and events corresponding with
this exhibition including a talk with legendary shoe designer Manolo
Blahnik, who will be answering questions and signing copies of his latest
book of shoe illustrations titled Manolo’s New Shoes.
‘Couture I’ by Morinerie 2010