Fashion at its best remains an art form and, before a garment can be made, its concept must be communicated to others - to those who do the sewing and construction. Hence, fashion illustration becomes an essential instrument in the designer’s tool box. And, even today, when the computer has come to dominate our lives, the skill of fashion illustration continues to be passed  on and cherished.

Not all designers are good illustrators and, therefore, some of them hire the services of an illustrator to communicate their ideas. The main focus is the fashion figure or ‘croquis’ used for draping the clothing onto. In fashion, this term refers to a quick sketch of a figure (typically nine heads tall as this is the accepted proportions for fashion illustration).

The basic proportions of the human form from, head to crotch, are retained but extra length is normally added to the legs to give a dramatic stylised effect and to give the designs more dynamic appeal. In the 1860s the power of the fashion illustration really bloomed when American women could see original designs by Charles Frederick Worth, often called the first true fashion designer, in the popular new publication of the times - ‘Harper’s Bazaar’. By the turn of the twentieth century illustrations of garments in publications such as this were the primary method of spreading fashion news. After all, the world of the digital camera and the 12-page glossy fashion magazine spread had not been born.

By the late 1930s ‘Vogue’ magazine began replacing its celebrated illustrated covers with photographic images and, subsequently, the art form hit a decline. It rose again in the 80s and, while it will never replace photographs in today’s fashion publications, the work of leading proponents can still be seen. See Steven Stipelman’s work in ‘Women’s Wear Daily’, for example.

Some illustrators work in paints and inks on paper, others have turned to the computer to further expand their repertoire. Many TAFES and other design institutes in Australia and New Zealand teach fashion illustration.

Useful links
• See an example of fashion illustration at the site of UK artist, David Downton at www.daviddownton.com [daviddownton.com]

• Take a peep at the website of the Australian fashion designer, Stephanie Conley, who began her working life as an illustrator www.stephanieconley.com [stephanieconley.com]

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