Fashion is ever-changing, and fashion designers are always looking to past and present trends to inspire their next collection.
Several high-end fashion houses hire illustrators to create inspired looks for their upcoming shows. These illustrations are then used by fashion bloggers and social media influencers to show off the new looks.
The use of illustration instead of photographs has become more prevalent as well, with some models walking the runway with painted faces or exaggerated features.
With the increasing popularity of gender neutral clothing and unisex dressing, this trend has influenced fashion illustration as well. Illustrators are now being asked to include more androgynous looks in their work.
The Jazz Age
The 1920s is referred to as the Jazz Age due to the emergence of jazz music and its popularity. Fashion also changed with the music, becoming less formal and more imaginative.
Artists were inspired by the new sounds and did art featuring dancers in their new fashions. Fashion magazines also increased in popularity, allowing everyone to be up-to-date on the latest looks.
Overall, fashion became less rigid and more fun which is clearly seen in the fashion illustrated during this time period. Artists had more freedom to express their styles and designs through fashion illustration and create unique pieces.
Some of the most famous artists of fashion illustration from this era are Louis Royo, Richard Lindon, André Gill, Augustus Rappard, George Lupton, Guy Mosley, Frederick Walker, Harry Furniss, and Joseph Walter Northouse.
The Flapper era
The 1920s is known as the Flapper era. This era is famous for its provocative fashion and disregard for conventional norms.
Women wore short skirts, dropped their morals with exposed chest coverage and low-cut necklines, and wore heavy eye makeup and bright lipstick. Men wore shorter pants, tighter fitting shirts, and had longer hair with side burns.
The reason for this was to show wealth. You could not afford expensive material so you could not dress in a more provocative way. Also, having less morals showed that you were not controlled by traditional values or religious beliefs.
Floppery hairstyles with feathers or jewelry, and heavy makeup was to demonstrate your individuality. Finally, bright lipstick and strong eye makeup showed that you were self- confident and playful.
This era challenged social norms about what is appropriate attire based on gender.
The 1950s
The 1950s saw a shift in society as well as fashion. The world had seen two major wars, a recession, and a social revolution, so things were changing.
Clothing became more conservative with the rise of middle-class women in the work force. Therefore, dresses became longer and more elegant with subtle details.
Jobs were also not as flexible at this time, so women had to plan their dresses ahead of time for the appropriate events. Since colors tended to be more muted, this was also a way to camouflage one’s self from events such as parties or dances.
In terms of illustration style, less expression and detail was used in portraying clothes due to the simple nature of the clothing itself. Colors tended to be very typical such as white for purity or black for elegance. Figure and body diversity was not emphasized either due to the uniformity of dress.
The Punk era
During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, fashion became more experimental. It was a time when designers broke away from traditional notions of elegance and sophistication.
Men and women wore leather, latex, and other unconventional fabrics that made statements about one’s identity. Goth culture heavily influenced fashion at this time.
Also, zany color combinations and prints were popular. Because of all of the above, it is difficult to re-appropriate vintage pieces from this era.
Many people donate old clothes or throw them away because they are no longer fashionable. If you are looking to re-style your old fashion finds, check to see if they are from this era before doing so!
This is also a time when people used markers and paper more often than computers to design fashion illustrations.
Today
Fashion illustration is still a thriving industry. Many fashion houses have their own in-house fashion illustrators that create sketches and prototypes for new designs.
Many fashion brands hire freelance illustrators to create sketches and images of their products. Even companies that are not directly related to fashion, such as cosmetics companies, hire fashion illustrators to create beautiful images of their products used as advertisements.
Freelance platforms such as DesignInc and UpWork provide great platforms to find jobs and employers looking for talent. These sites also have good reputations and vet employers and artists well which makes it a safe place to seek employment.
With the rise of social media, more and more people are using fashion illustrations in their posts. Sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all have pages filled with beautiful artwork promoting clothing brands, trends, or just for the sake of art.
is something that is constantly changing, but what many people do not realize is that fashion illustration has also gone through many changes over the years. Fashion illustration started out as a very basic form of art, using simple lines and colors to illustrate clothing. As time went on, fashion illustration became much more advanced and detailed. There are many different eras of fashion illustration that all have their own unique characteristics.
The Victorian era was a time when women were beginning to gain more independence and equality with men. Women were starting to express themselves through their clothing and began to wear garments that were not as restrictive or confining.
During this time period there was also a huge influence from nature in fashion illustrations which can be seen in the lines used to draw the clothing as well as the bright colors used.
The Jazz Age was characterized by happy, exciting colors like yellows and oranges along with bold lines and large shapes.
In the Flapper era there was a shift towards less structured clothing designs which resulted in looser, simpler shapes being used in fashion illustrations.
In this period women had even more independence which led to their clothes having an even stronger emphasis on femininity.
. During this time vibrant colors like pinks and purples became popular along with patterns such as zigzags
The 1950’s brought back some of the characteristics of earlier decades such as puffed sleeves while still keeping some of the new styles such as tight skirts
. Fashion illustrations from this period tend to have characters with longer legs which is indicative of the trends at the time
. Colors tended to be neutral or pastel hues while patterns remained simple
. This style continued into the early 1960’s until it evolved into what came to be known as Swinging London
. In Swinging London elements from both American rock n roll culture along with British youth culture combined creating a whole new look for both music artists and those in fashion . In Swinging London illustrators began using vibrant bright colors along with bold geometric shapes giving it a very eye-catching effect . These characteristics carried into late 1960’s until
There have been many different eras of fashion illustration and all of them have had their own unique characteristics. Some have been very basic and simple while others have been very bold and eye-catching. All of these contribute to the ever-evolving fashion world.
To learn more about the different eras of fashion illustration, click here.
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