Inspiring Fashion Illustrations From Around the World

Illustration is the key element to fashion design and is celebrated more in today’s time and rightly so! Fashion schools worldwide are encouraging aspirants to indulge in their fashion fantasies, through elaborate illustrations, based on which their dream designs take shape. To be able to bring out the best, one needs inspirations not from the past but also from the present. Here are some of the best fashion illustrator from around the world and their works.

David Downton:

David Downton has a reputation for being one of the leading fashion artists today. His contribution to fashion illustration is considered noteworthy for reviving the art. With dark ink outlines, David’s signature style is classically elegant that blends with the contemporary sensibility.

David Downton (Image Source: Google)

Arturo Elena:

A fashion illustrator from Terule, Spain, Arturo Elenais one of the most sought after artists. His work has a caricature element to them that is charismatic. The men and women in his illustrations have a flair of extravagance and are drawn in an elongated and exaggerated manner. The backdrop of the artwork is lavish and the overall work is an incredible composition of textures and colors.  

Arturo Elena (Image Source: Google)

Laura Laine:

A marvelous fashion illustrator from Finland, Laura Laine has been known to express herself through her art. She claims to be not conscious about her drawing style because her portrayal depends on her mood. Her illustrations exude a prominent sense of melancholy.

Laura Laine (Image Source: Google)

Tanya Ling:

Born in Calcutta, India, Tanya Ling’s fashion illustrations have been exhibited internationally along with being featured in various leading news dailies and publications. She is also an amazing fashion designer and in 2003, she was named the most significant trendsetter by British ‘Vogue’. 

Tanya Ling (Image Source: Google)

Danny Roberts:

Danny Roberts is known to portray high-end fashion scene with an air of wit and eccentricity. His portraits illustrate a fresh perspective to fashion. Danny’s works have been featured in leading magazines like Elle and Vogue, apart from being associated with names like Tiffany & Company, Forever 21 and Gwen Stephani’s ‘Harajuku Lovers’.

Danny Roberts (Image Source: Google)

Such great talents can definitely prompt aspirants to sketch their own fashion dreams. But along with inspiration, one requires knowledge and right mentoring. At Whistling Woods - Neeta Lulla School of Fashion, the various courses can refine and hone your skills as a fashion illustrator and help you sketch your dreams! 

Belinda Bawa, the Great Illustrator

Fashion illustration has been around for decades, but it is only in recent years that this profession has been receiving the importance it deserves. The job of a fashion illustrator is to work closely with a fashion designer and illustrate on paper the ideas in the designer’s mind. For this, an illustrator’s creation can be as precise and detailed as possible or as vague as they please and add as much dramatics they see fit. An aspirant pursuing this career line can opt to join a fashion house, join a particular designer or just fly solo.

Fashion illustration in India still has a long way to go, but thankfully the foundation is already set. Belinda Bawa, a leading illustrator of our time, is one of the first known illustrators. It started with the design project for the film Devdas. Neeta Lulla who was working on the costumes for the film approached Belinda to create dramatic and elaborate designs. After this there was no stopping her from charting new heights.

Though a famous fashion illustrator now, she has done and experienced a host of other things. From teaching to writing, this talented lady has done it all. Her experience includes Visual Merchandising comprising names like Burlingtons at the Taj (Mumbai), Vikram Phadnis (Design Studio). Over the years she has supervised backstage with backstage managers Vahbeez and Delnaz in over fifty fashion shows for designers like J.J. Vallaya, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla, Neeta Lulla, Wendell Rodricks and Tarun Tahiliani among others. 

She worked briefly as a Fashion Consultant for Sheetal Departmental store. Accessory designing too falls under her profile. She designed and developed Avant Grade accessories for a collection presented in India, Dubai, UK for Vikram Phadnis, Neeta Lulla, Rohit Verma and others. She did not even leave writing; she wrote articles on fashion events and trends for a website.

Belinda’s illustration expertise was seen in films too. She did detailed costume illustration for films like Devdas, Kisna, Aisha and the list goes on. 

The illustrator even ventured into the field of teaching. She taught S.N.D.T. Women’s University as Asst. Professor to Wendell Rodericks for History of World Costume. Raheja University, N.I.F.T (National Institute of Fashion Technology), C.E.P.Z Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Mod Art Institute of Management along with which she conducted personalized workshop and crash courses in illustration and design. Belinda is currently a Faculty at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion where she shares her experiences and expertise in the field of illustration with young aspirants.

Illustrating the World of Fashion

An illustrator is a person who draws or creates pictures for magazines, books or book covers. In the vast field of fashion, illustration holds an extremely important position. Fashion Illustration is the communication of fashion that originates with illustration, drawing and painting. It is usually commissioned for reproduction in fashion magazines as one part of an editorial feature or for the purpose of advertising and promoting fashion makers, fashion boutiques and department stores.

The profession of fashion illustrator has been in existence for centuries now, for as long as clothes and fashion has been around. The job description of a fashion illustrator has entailed sketching creative ideas for clothing accessories and outfits. An illustrator can be very precise and detailed in their depiction or as vague as they please. They are the one that give life to an idea, breathing life into them on a day-to-day basis. Fashion houses, design studios or going solo are some of the options that an illustrator can look into.

                               

           

Fashion illustrator is a challenging profession and there are a couple of factors that you should possess in order to get into this artistic line. The factor that tops the list is having a hand for drawing, this is an absolute must. If you are a talented artist, half the work is done, but the second step is to polish these skills. Technical skills should also be up to date; these technical skills could range from simple free hand drawing to new computer software.

                                    

                   

Having fashion education on your resume will definitely take you places. While working with designers, your understanding of fabrics and colors will be reflected in your sketches. More than anything, do as many internships as you can to gain knowledge aplenty. Two goals are achieved with this; one is the experience you get and the other is networking. Building connections is very important to break into this glamorous profession.

Belinda Bawa                 Garance Doré             Richard Haines        Dallas Shaw 

Fashion illustration had been on a steady decline for quite some time but is now rejuvenating and this is thanks to the talented people like Belinda Bawa, one of the best known Fashion Illustrators in India. Other international biggies like Dallas Shaw, Garance Doré and Richard Haines are swinging the professional spotlight onto Fashion Illustration. 

Belinda Bawa's Illustrations 

Fashion industry is a competitive field for which a strong foundation is required. The courses at the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion explores multiple facets of the fashion world, laying a strong foundation to build a career on.

Career Options for Fashion Aspirants

The glamorous and lucrative line of Fashion Designing has beckoned a lot of young creative minds to join this career path. For a lot of people, Fashion Designing is normally associated with only the designing aspect, but the fashion industry is huge. Aspirants with artistic skills and an extensive fashion sense can make a successful career in fashion as one of the following.

Fashion Stylist

Fashion Styling is one of the career lines that have been there for a few decades but in recent years it has reached its full potential. The job description involves selecting correct clothes for editorial features, prints, television, advertising campaigns, movies, music videos, award functions, music concerts or any other public appearance by celebrities. A stylist collaborates with fashion designers, hair and makeup stylists to create the prefect look for the client. A stylist is the person who gets a celebrity on the best dressed list. Today retail stores and e-stores boast a personal stylist, who helps the buyers in picking the perfect outfit.

Fashion Merchandising

Fashion Merchandising is where fashion meets business. The designer has to launch his product and this is where a Fashion Merchandiser comes in. From producing a fashion line to final sale, a merchandiser is ‘involved in each step’. They ensure the supply of quality apparel to the customers in the most suitable retail setting, during the right season. They should be up to date with the current trends and also be able to forecast the future trends. There are sub-careers that fall under this category, such as retail management.

Fashion Illustration

A Fashion Illustrator is someone who creates sketches and drawing or any other work of art. When staring a new line, Fashion Designer depends on an illustrator to realize their ideas through their drawing and sketches. These drawings are used by designers to sell the line before prototypes are made. The illustrator can bring the designer’s idea to life. For this line of work, artistic skills have to be polished as the illustrator has to capture the essence of the designs and not just draw lines.

Belinda Bawa a Fashion Illustrator

Fashion Journalist

Meher Castelino a Fashion Journalist

For a person who loves to write and has a soft corner for fashion, Fashion Journalism is the perfect career option. Everyday there is some fashion related event or fashion show all over the world and writing about them is a requirement. Magazines and fashion websites and blogs have popped up with by-the-minute reports on the latest happenings in the world of fashion, so let’s just say that this is one career option will never go out of fashion. 

Pattern Making (left), Textile Designing (right)

The fashion industry is filled with diverse career paths like Pattern Making, Textile Designing, Production Management and new ones keep emerging from time to time that give immense opportunities to fashion aspirants. So keep your eyes and ears tuned and you could hit the giddy heights of success before you know it.