VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TREE BROOCHES

It’s Christmas Eve and I’ve just unearthed my vintage diamante Christmas tree brooch, that I reach for every year when I start preparing the feast of all feasts.

Wearing something so beautiful and extravagant always gets me in a Christmas mood and adds a bit of glamour to stuffing the turkey and peeling endless spuds. I forgot to put the brooch on one year and my daughter quickly reminded me, so wearing it has become as much of a festive tradition in our house as assembling my late parents’ 1950’s Christmas lantern and decorating the tree with vintage decs.

Happy Vintage Christmas!
Photo credit

STRATTON AUDLEY CHRISTMAS BARN

If you're still looking for some last minute gifts, head to the Stratton Audley Christmas Barn for a unique line-up of Christmas presents and a lovely day out in rural Oxfordshire. For today only, there's the added bonus of a festive Beer & Sausage Festival, in aid of Save the Children. Santa will also be there in his Grotto and a traditional Punch & Judy, plus friendly farm animals from Ark Farm.

Festive gifts and homeware

AZZA FAHMY FOR MATTHEW WILLIAMSON JEWELLERY COLLECTION SS14

Take a look at my post for Harper's Bazaar on the launch of the 10-piece jewellery collection by Azza Fahmy for Matthew Williamson: Harper's Bazaar/Latest

Showcasing at the Matthew Williamson SS14 catwalk show at London Fashion Week on Sunday, The Azza Fahmy for Matthew Williamson Jewellery Collection will be available from Spring 2014 exclusively at the Matthew Williamson flagship store in London and Azza Fahmy boutiques.

The collaboration between the Egyptian luxury jewellery house Azza Fahmy and leading British fashion designer Matthew Williamson highlights the synergy between both brands and their love of global cultural- and travel references.  

The Azza Fahmy for Matthew Williamson SS14 Jewellery Collection moodboard,
highlighting the organcic stack rings and nature-inspired collars

WANSTEAD VINTAGE FASHION & BROCANTE FAIR - JULY 2013

I spent a lovely day on Saturday at the Wanstead Vintage Fashion & Brocante Fair. There was a great mix of stallholders selling fashion, beauty products, homeware and artefacts from predominately the 1920's through to the 1960's.  The fair was well worth visiting and I spent too much! It's a treat to find a fair that consistently offers genuine vintage pieces, rather than the usual line-up of retro and crafts that so often masquerade as vintage.

To celebrate the third anniversary of the fair, the organiser Cary Whitley of LoveVintage, had booked Ultrasound, a 50-strong choir specialising the Rockin' 50's to entertain everyone, plus vintage hair and make-up specialists, Candypout, as seen on Kirsty's Vintage Home on Channel 4.

There was a real buzz around the old church hall with many of the regular stallholders offering seasonal finds, such as glamorous cat's eye sunglasses and spectacles, elegant parasols and pressed glass decanters for al fresco dining. Newcomer Graham Leonard's collection of beautiful perfume bottles also proved a huge attraction. He reported selling several vintage fragrance bottles by, amongst others, Chanel, Coty and Worth, plus a rare porcelain Empire Sphinx with 1/4oz Cabriole perfume from the Elizabeth Arden 1979 Palais de Versaille Christmas Collection.

As always the Vintage Cafe was a popular stop-off. It was a real treat to sit outside in the sunshine with friends, sipping tea from a bone china cup and listening to the choir sing...happy days!

Vintage beaded bags and 50's cat's eye frames from LoveVintage

SUMMER OPEN GARDENS

We enjoyed a beautiful day at the annual Open Gardens event in our village this weekend. It was so lovely to see everyone out and about exploring the fabulous gardens. Cream teas and other refreshments were served in the church and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

It's a village tradition to create scarecrows each year and this time round the theme was well-known characters from children's books. Among the highlights was Harry Potter on his broomstick playing Quidditch and The Tailor of Gloucester, complete with sewing machine and busy little mice.

All in all, a very special village day...

 A village affair: Magnificent Gunnera, triffid-like aeoniums and vintage
troughs, interspersed with storybook scarecrows

WANSTEAD VINTAGE FASHION & BROCANTE FAIR

It's that time of year again! 

We're heading off to East London on Saturday for the Wanstead Vintage Fashion & Brocante Fair. Celebrating its third anniversary, the event keeps going from strength to strength and is well-known as the go-to for genuine vintage wares. 

I've got a few things on my shopping list and I'm looking forward to seeing Graham Leonard, of Green Parrot Collectables, and his display of vintage perfume bottles. He's at the fair for the first time and he has a fantastic collection of flacons and factices, plus an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the bottles and fragrances. I'll post a piece on him shortly, as I had the pleasure of visiting him at his HQ with Cary Whitley, who organises the Wanstead Vintage Fashion & Brocante Fair. I thought I had a lot of perfume bottles, until I saw Graham's line-up, not to mention his wife's collection of miniature perfume bottles...  

If you haven't been to the fair before, then here are a few image to wet your appetite from the this Spring's show. Hopefully see you there...

Fabulous vintage hat box from Lock & Co in St James'

DORIAN LEIGH INSPIRES AMANDA WAKELEY'S SPRING/SUMMER 2013 COLLECTION

Just finished a post for my Harper's Bazaar Vintage Spy blog. It explores the influence of the legendary model, Dorian Leigh, on fashion designer Amanda Wakeley's current collection. A great example of the synergy often found between vintage and contemporary styling. 

According to Amanda, it all started with a feeling for hourglass waists, feminine tailoring, Couture draping and the silhouettes of the Golden Age of Fashion in the 40's and 50's. Images of the elegant Dorian Leigh, often credited as the original super model, are the backbone of Amanda's wonderful mood board (below) for S/S 2013. The shots of Dorian Leigh include editorial and advertising images for Harper's Bazaar US, Time and American Vogue, shot by several of the leading photographers of the era, such as Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. These sit happily alongside a montage of tear sheets of modern day muses, including Kate Moss, plus striking close-ups of pleating and other expert atelier techniques. Who wouldn't be inspired?

The Amanda Wakeley Spring/Summer 2013 mood board 

  

MARY JANE BAXTER - THE MODERN GIRL'S GUIDE TO HATMAKING

Milliner and author Mary Jane Baxter's inspiring new book, The Modern Girl's Guide to Hatmaking (Kyle Books), features a wealth of vintage millinery projects for the novice hatter. Her down-to-earth approach to creating jaunty confections, often using hand-me-down hats, is enchanting and she is quick to stress that you don't need expensive tools and materials to create and customise hat designs. 

Mary Jane's mission is to get Britain hatting again! She has honed her skills as a milliner by researching the construction, fabrics and trims of vintage hats, and uses these timeless millinery techniques to create her own hats and headdresses. The easy-to-follow projects featured in the book are perfect for anyone wanting to personalise a much-loved hat or for creating a design from scratch. Many of the projects can also be adapted for weddings and other special occasions.

With a collection of over 15 vintage hats, Mary Jane finds it hard to pick a favourite, 'I’ve got a 1950’s headpiece that’s covered in artificial flowers in various pastel colours. It’s just so over-the-top!' she explains, 'I made my own ‘modern-with-a-vintage-twist’ version covered in tiny white lilies and when I wore it, I was stopped over and over again by people wanting to talk about it. It seemed to spark all sorts of memories!

'I’m also a big fan of the Vintage Millinery and Fashion section at the London College of Fashion library,' continues Mary Jane, 'There’s a wonderful selection of old hatmaking books there – and I find them fascinating. I love reading about the way hats used to be constructed. Many of the methods used in bygone years have fallen out of favour and these books are a fabulous resource.'

Mary Jane's own book is beautifully illustrated with many images featuring her collection of vintage hatstands and hats, plus photographs of her hatmaking projects. I love the image of the wooden hatstands, below, topped with beautiful 40's and 50's hats. Shot against a floral picture painted by Mary Jane's father, the image perfectly sums-up the ethos of this unique book.

You can read my Vintage Spy Q&A with Mary Jane for Harper's Bazaar at: 
http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/blogs/vintage-milliners-tale_

Photography by Claire Richardson

Divine inspiration; highly collectable vintage hatstands with
covetable 40's and 50's hats

SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE - SWITCHED ON!

Sainsbury's Magazine has introduced a new page to its editorial mix, focusing on favourite websites, downloads and apps. Editor Helena Lang, who I worked with at 19 Magazine, very kindly included my blog on the inaugural page in the May issue. 

A big thank-you to Helena and her team for their kind words!

 

COUNTRY LIVING SPRING 2013 FAIR

If you love unique pieces from the past, then the Country Living Fairs are the shows for you. They are always a great hunting ground for inspiring vintage treasures, plus finishing touches such as ribbons and trims, and there are bargains to be found. The recent Country Living Spring Fair proved rich pickings, and a friend and I unearthed some beautiful French display mannequins from the 1900's and a couple of gorgeous hatboxes from the 20's. 

We always make a beeline for Garden Brocante and we also came across Plum & Ashby. We  fell in love with their gorgeous leather pouches and bags, discretely embellished with a Fox Terrier, depicting the company's mascot Bertie. The bags and homeware are new, but with a quirky twist. Check them out.

The stock at the fair constantly evolves, so it's also worth returning to favourite exhibitors throughout the show, just in case something wonderful has emerged from the stockroom. If we hadn't backtracked, I would have missed out on a couple of lovely 1940's paintings on the Garden Brocante stand, which weren't there first time round. 

Located at the Business Design Centre in Islington, the Spring Fair is just around the corner from the vintage market and the eclectic line-up of independent shops, cafes and other delights of Camden Passage. So its a great day-out. 

The Country Living Christmas Fair (30/10-3/11) is at the Business Design Centre in Islington and also takes place in Glasgow (21-24/11) and Harrogate (28/11-1/12). 

Here are some of my favourite images from the Spring Fair...

Vintage 1940's Novita Liane plaster mannequin for Christian Dior 
at Garden Art & Design 

1930's plaster display bust by Lube Paris at Garden Art & Design -
also a regular exhibitor at The Chelsea Flower Show

CHANEL SPRING/SUMMER 2013 EYEWEAR COLLECTION

Chanel has chosen the French model and actress, Laetitia Casta, to front the campaign for its Spring/Summer 2013 eyewear collection. Shot and styled by Chanel's Creative Director, Karl Lagerfeld, the black and white images show Casta wearing a selection of  frames from the new eyewear range, plus accessories featuring iconic Chanel touches, such as full-blown camellias and woven leather gilt chains. The wide transparent Perspex hats, first seen on the catwalk at Chanel's Spring/Summer 2013 ready-to-wear show, add a halo of light to the polished and futuristic imagery.

The legendary Coco Chanel wore cat eye glasses and Lagerfeld is rarely seen without his trademark black sunglasses, so eyewear is definitely part of the fashion house's DNA. For this season, Lagerfeld has embellished his bold cat eye and butterfly silhouettes with chains, pearls and scrolls of metallic lace. Square, oval and rectangular shapes are also available in both glasses and sunglasses and the frames showcase signature Chanel symbols, such as the double C and rich quilting. Available in classic tortoiseshell and black, the designs also come in a rich colour palette of summer brights. These are definitely glasses to save-up for!

Casta, who was the face of Chanel's Allure and recently appeared in Arbitrage with Richard Gere and Do Not Disturb with Charlotte Gainsbourg, stars in a short video of the shoot. She has also modelled couture and ready-to-wear for Chanel's catwalk extravaganzas on numerous occasions and appeared in Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld's Little Black Jacket book and exhibition of photographs, currently on show at the late baroque Rotonda della Besana in Milan, until April 20th.

Enjoy the latest Chanel eyewear collection video, plus a selection of Lagerfeld's images and a trio of back stage shots, below. 

MISS G: THE PRIVATE WORLD OF GRETA GARBO

There's a fabulous exhibition at the Belmacz Gallery in London, celebrating the life of the Swedish Hollywood legend, Greta Garbo. Miss G: The Private World of Greta Garbo showcases designs from the film star's wardrobe, alongside artworks and decorative pieces from her personal collection. It is a great insight into the world of the silver screen actress and runs until 19th March. 

Nominated four times for an Academy Award for Best Actress, Garbo made her mark in Hollywood at MGM studios in silent movies, such as Torrent (1926), and became known for her dramatic facial expressions and her ability to convey emotion with just the lowering of an eyelid. With her cool Nordic beauty and husky voice, Garbo switched effortlessly to talking movies and is remembered for her dramatic roles in Anna Christie (1930) and Grand Hotel (1932).

The legendary Swedish actress in Mata Hari (1931), photographed by 
her favourite MGM photographer, Clarence Sinclair Bull
Photo credit

OSCAR FASHION 2013

There were several strong fashion moments on the red carpet at the 85th Academy Award's ceremony last night, but in contrast to years past, many of the stars played it safe.

Amongst the event's most memorable looks, Best Actress winner, Jennifer Lawrence, looked amazing in her Raf Simons for Dior Couture gown, as did Oscar nominated Amy Adams in full-blown Oscar de la Renta. Anne Hathaway shone in her pared-down Prada sheath dress as she collected her Best Supporting Actress award and Charlize Theron's Dior Couture siren dress, proved that white is always a strong option.

Jessica Chastain looked every bit the screen goddess in her nude crystal encrusted Armani Prive gown, while Kerry Washington provided a welcome pop of colour as she dazzled in a strapless coral Miu Miu column dress, featuring an embellished bodice and demure bow at the waist. The Chinese actress, Fan Bingbing also opted for colour, donning a brilliant cerise satin Marchesa gown to the awards.

Samantha Barks, is a name to watch following her role in Les Miserables, and she looked polished and elegant in a beautifully cut, stark black, Valentino number. Naomi Watts also chose laser sharp cutting, pouring herself into a dramatic gunmetal Armani Prive dress.

Oscar winners: Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence, 
Best Supporting Actress Anne Hathaway and Best Supporting Actor Christoph Walz
Photo credit

RETROSPECTIVE FASHION SHOW

Vintage fashion made its mark during London Fashion Week, with a Retrospective fashion show dedicated to showcasing how vintage design influences current- and future fashion trends. The show focused on the highly feminine hourglass silhouette, the military look, Eastern styling and full blown showstoppers, that all relate to the current shift in fashion styling. 

Held in the decadent Art Deco surroundings of the recently re-opened Bloomsbury Ballroom, the show featured garments from the 1920's through to the 1990's, plus a few from the 2000's. The pieces were sourced directly from leading designers such as Barbara Hulanicki of Biba, as well as from vintage emporiums, including Vintage Modes, Violet's Box and One of a Kind, and from Christie's.

You can read my full Retrospective show report and see more images at: Harper's Bazaar

Barbara Hulanicki lent this fabulous 1970's Biba faux leopard print
 coat for the show

OSCAR COSTUME DESIGN: EDITH HEAD

On the eve of the 85th Academy Awards, all eyes will be on the annual event to see who goes home with a coveted Oscar or two.

While Walt Disney won the most Oscars to date, winning a grand total of 24; legendary costume designer, Edith Head, is still the woman awarded the most golden statuettes, with a total of eight Oscars to her name. These include her designs for All about Eve (1951), Roman Holiday (1954) and Sabrina (1955).

Head (1897 - 1981) cut her teeth in the costume department at Paramount Pictures where she became known as one of Hollywood's leading costume designers, designing initially for black and white films, before moving into colour. She created timeless costumes for many of Hollywood's screen legends, including Bette Davis in June Bride (1948), Ingrid Bergman in Notorious (1946), Grace Kelly in Rear Window (1954) and Tippi Hedren in The Birds (1963). 

Edith Head in front of her eight Oscars for Costume Design
Photo credit

LONDON FASHION WEEK AUTUMN/WINTER 2013: MANOLO BLAHNIK DRAWINGS

I loved Manolo Blahnik's quirky illustrations at London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013. You couldn't miss the leading footwear designer's colourful illustrations at the event at Somerset House - they were everywhere. It was like walking through a Manolo Blahnik Wonderland! 

Specially commissioned for LFW by the British Fashion Council, Blahnik's creative drawings and instantly recognisable flamboyant handwriting adorned the walls of the Courtyard Show Space, and also featured on show banners and other show material. Even the exhibition lanyards were printed with the designer's signature shoe silhouettes and were no doubt doing a roaring trade on eBay within minutes of LFW opening. I'm certainly going to hang-on to mine, as it's rare for such a functional piece to be a thing of beauty.

The portfolio of drawings were inspired by Blahnik's colourful career as a celebrated footwear designer and man-about-town.They also depicted British fashion editors and leading ladies who played important roles in his career, that kicked-off in the 70's. Grace Coddington, Amanda Harlech and Daphne Guinness were all included, wearing Blahnik's killer heels. The English countryside and the designer's beloved Scottie dogs also played a starring role. 

Blahnik's flattering and highly feminine footwear is worn by an endless list of A-list celebrities and coveted by a discerning shoe-loving clientele. The designer recently revealed that the LFW drawings were a tribute to the late-Anna Piaggi of Italian Vogue; a close friend who always loved visiting the UK and adored Manolo Blahnik shoes. In turn, Blahnik affectionately referred to the eccentric Piaggi as, 'The world's last great authority on frocks.' You can see more of Blanik's inspiring illustrations in Camilla Morton's book, Manolo Blahnik and the tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker.

If you are interested in seeing the images large-scale, you can also catch Blahnik's humorous doodles in a special window at The May Fair Hotel in London -  but hurry, they won't be there for long...

Manolo Blahnik at work in his studio, holding his signature pointed-toe shoe last. 
Photographed by his close friend Michael Roberts
Picture credit

A Manolo Blahnik shoe design in ottoman silk with 
gold beading for Winter 1998
Photo credit

BIRCH BARK WEAVING

I smiled when I saw these images of artist and photographer, Aia Judes' witty interpretations of iconic designer pieces made from traditional birch bark weaving. If you've visited Scandinavia, you will know that birch bark weaving ('näver' in Swedish) is used extensively for creating handcrafted baskets, Christmas decorations and diverse household items, so it's interesting to see the technique used in such an irreverent way. 


With its roots in Russia, Scandinavia, Finland and the USA, one of the oldest examples of birch bark weaving is a batch of letters found in Russia, dating from the 1600's, which are still legible today. Through the birch bark projects in her images, Judes explores sustainability, longevity and the value of material goods in today's throw-away society. Collaborating with two birch bark specialists, who have worked with the natural material for decades, Judes juxtaposes this enduring technique with signature silhouettes by Christian Louboutin, Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton; creating designs that are both decadent and homespun. 




With a nod to Christian Louboutin, Aia Judes has included 23 carat gold detail on these 
birch bark beauties
Photo credit

NEW ICONS OF FASHION ILLUSTRATION: PART TWO

Part Two of my Q&A with Tony Glenville, author of New Icons of Fashion Illustration (Laurence King), includes Glenville's thoughts on collecting the works of fashion artists, both as an investment and just for the love of the art form. I've also included an inspiring series of images from the book. Enjoy!

Click here for Part One:

LJ: Is fashion illustration an important part of the curriculum for fashion design students?

TG: Designers are not necessarily illustrators, it is often a different skill. Many designers can "sketch", but not much more. At London College of Fashion we have a Fashion Illustration BA course, which is highly successful. Learning to mark-make is vital to designers, but the art and craft of successful fashion illustrators is a separate learning curve and gift.

LJ: Do you collect contemporary fashion illustration, as well as fashion illustrations by fashion artists from the past?

TG: I am ashamed to say NO, but my collecting has to stop somewhere. Gazette du Bon Ton is still my key illustration collection, alongside the work of the artist/cartoonist/observer SEM, whose work I adore.

Kareem Iliya
Courtesy Kareem Iliya

NEW ICONS OF FASHION ILLUSTRATION: PART ONE

Readers of this blog will know how much I adore fashion illustration, so I was delighted to discover that Tony Glenville has written New Icons of Fashion Illustration, published by Laurence King.

Glenville is a much respected fashion journalist and commentator and he is also Creative Director: School of Media & Communication at London College of Fashion. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him for many years and in his latest book, Glenville explores the new breed of fashion illustrators working across a wide remit of mixed media, including hi-tech and more traditional methods of drawing.

Glenville very kindly agreed to do a Q&A exclusively for this blog, which highlights several of the illustrators featured in his book.

LJ: What was the catalyst for writing the book?

TG: Actually the book started as a commission from Laurence King; but shifted and evolved into the present publication through much discussion of the current world status of fashion Illustration and other books on the subject already available.

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT TAGS & CARDS

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've been busy making cards and gift tags for Valentine's and decided that there's really only one word that sums-up what today is all about...

Luckily 'love' works all year round, so there's shelf-life in these little cards and tags beyond today's celebrations. The white and black versions are simple, yet dramatic, and I also like using the buff luggage labels for gift tags, as well as for labelling vintage clothing and accessories for sales. The tags are also perfect for labelling bottles and jars, identifying seeds collected from the garden and for sorting out collections of keys and other bits and bobs around the house. True multi-taskers!

So if you aren't into the bright red and pink, heart and teddy bear embellished Valentine's cards, that seem to be the norm for the 14th February, then these pure and 
to-the-point designs might be more appealing.

The production line on the kitchen table...

HARPER'S BAZAAR VINTAGE SPY

My first blog for harpersbazaar.co.uk is up! The website includes inspiring blogs by Kay Montano, Sara Parker Bowles and Sadie Frost and I'm very excited to be penning the Vintage Spy blog. 

Bazaar boasts such a rich heritage, which is reflected throughout the magazine and the website. The magazine is looking even more fabulous now that editor Justine Picardie is heading the team. The next issue, featuring the beautiful Rachel Weisz on the cover, is the largest yet and showcases the first fashion story from the title's new Global Fashion Director, Carine Roitfeld. I'm looking forward to seeing the fashion story shot at the V&A, pairing contemporary designs with pieces from the museum's extensive fashion collection. It's the first time that the V&A has allowed a fashion shoot to take place in its glorious buildings, so the images, shot by couture photographer Cathleen Naundorf, should be quite something.

Actress Rachel Weisz graces the cover of the March 2013 issue of Harper's Bazaar

A preview of the special subscribers' cover of the March 2013 issue of Harper's Bazaar, shot by 
Cathleen Naundorf at the V&A

LONDON FASHION WEEK: AUTUMN/WINTER 2013

Can't wait for London Fashion Week next month! There's always such an exciting buzz surrounding the designer catwalk shows and The Exhibition at LFW. I've attended the fashion shows and exhibitions, in all their guises, since I started working on fashion magazines in the early 80's and I've watched LFW blossom into a huge global affair, since its launch in 1984. Today, London is internationally recognised as the place to watch for rising fashion talent, as well as being home to several major league players such as Burberry and Matthew Williamson. Our fashion colleges are second to none and have nurtured so many of the current leading designers working both here and internationally. So we should embrace our flourishing fashion industry and the fact that we are right up there with Paris, Milan and New York in the fashion stakes!

Models backstage at Erdem Spring/Summer 2013
Photo caption

TALES FROM THE DRESSING TABLE: FRAGRANCE

Is there anything more evocative than fragrance? In a heartbeat, just a trace of a certain perfume can transport you back in time. For me, Madame Rochas, Diorissimo and Miss Dior by Christian Dior, Caleche by Hermes and Je Reviens by Worth all instantly remind me of my mother and my childhood in the Sixties. I'd have to add the heady scent of Elnett hairspray to that list, too, as it was such a fixture on my mother's dressing table and she was forever spraying great clouds of the stuff around her head. I'll never forget the time she was in a rush and reached for the hairspray, only to realise, too late, that she was spraying her hair with a can of furniture polish. Her fabulous beehive, that had taken her ages to backcomb and perfect, slowly disintegrated into a soggy mess before our eyes. I'm pretty sure I got the giggles at that stage and was ceremoniously marched out of my parents' bedroom.

But back to the serious fragrances - it isn't only the wonderful aromas of the perfumes my mother wore that have stayed with me all these years, it's also the memory of the feel and the shape of the fragrance bottles. I so adored admiring and holding those beautiful bottles as a child. They were like artefacts; so pleasingly tactile and luxurious, and so different to my assorted bottles of 4711 toilet water and other, totally insipid toiletries, that I used to get for Christmas. 

Miss Dior advertisement from 1971, illustrated by Christian Dior's great friend, Renee Gruau.
Miss Dior was created in 1941 by Paul Vacher and Jean Carles
Photo credit

Q&A: FASHION ARTIST DAVID DOWNTON

I'm passionate about fashion illustration and I've always made a point of commissioning fashion drawings on the publications I've worked on. I love mixing illustration with photography for pace and contrast, and my favourite artists include David Downton, Mats Gustafson, Rene Gruau and Carl Erickson. I was over the moon to be given several of David Downton's beautiful fashion drawings a few years ago. They hang in our bedroom and are such a treat to wake-up to every morning! 

One of my treasured David Downton illustrations: Versace, 2006. Acrylic, watercolour and ink on paper
Private Collection/Picture caption

As a leading fashion artist and a regular at the Haute Couture shows in Paris, David's evocative images can be seen in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and a host of international fashion titles. He recently published Masters of Fashion Illustration, a lavishly illustrated book that pays tribute to his favourite 20th-century fashion illustrators and also includes an inspiring portfolio of David's own unique work. The book is a true celebration of fashion drawing and also succinctly depicts how this engaging art form has changed and re-invented itself over the past century, with drawings by artists such as Bob Peak and Andy Warhol looking as relevant today as they did when first created in the 50's and 60's.

I've been fortunate to commission David to create fashion drawings and portraits over the years, including images of Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes, and it never ceases to amaze me how, with just a few well placed lines, he can create such detailed and haunting images. Several of David's artworks included in the book feature in this post, alongside illustrations by some of his favourite artists. 

David very kindly agreed to contributed a Q&A exclusively to this blog, which reveals his favourite fashion artists, his preferred artists' materials and what's in-store for 2013.