The fashion that we see parading on the catwalks has been first elaborated in the mind of the designer. The ideas are embodied in paper naturally and spontaneously in some occasions, as the notes spring from the score of the composer. The sketches can give rise to a wonderful dress or a fantastic collection.

Illustrated Fashion

The drawings are the physical representation of the ideas that are born in the minds of many designers sharing through their hands creativity expressed through different techniques like charcoal pen watercolor or graphic design. In other words, the ideas that the designers have put directly on paper leave the real world there so it is necessary that the sketches convey clarity and a style of their own that defines them and distinguishes them from others.

The illustrated representation does not have to be the final creation of the designer. The initial drawing or idea can be retouched changing some detail or adding some element. Sometimes, some experts say the result has nothing to do with the original sketch. The designer Yves Saint Laurent explains in a documentary that when he picks up a pencil he does not know what he is going to draw he does not raise anything he just begins to draw a woman’s face followed by a dress and an unexpected silhouette.

It is a creation without preparation without any established vision, that sometimes works and sometimes not. Some illustrators are dedicated exclusively to graphically embody the ideas of a firm. Through the design, they reflect the style of a couturier or the magic of a collection. However, it is not enough just to be a good drafter it is also necessary to have enthusiasm for fashion and know the trends.

Illustrated fashion is currently the least-explored area of ​​fashion magazines. Formerly it was easy to find a sketch in a magazine, but the new technologies and the latest trends are betting on a renewed image and with digital retouching. However, illustration in fashion is essential. Sketches are usually saved and are not released.

Following this idea and through interviews and personal encounters with more than 60 famous contemporary designers, Laird Borrelli publisher has published a book with the compilation of 280 sketches created by different fashion designers at an international level highlighting the unique creative impulse behind every illustrator. The Fashion Illustration from the perspective of the designers published this year counts on the technique and approach of each designer shown in his works of art and has the exclusivity of 20 sketches made for the publication.