Effortless sophistication and timeless elegance are the hallmark of René Gruau’s fashion illustration. Filled with iconic full-page reproductions, detailed drawings, and biographical insights, this glorious celebration traces a career that is inextricably linked to the history of Parisian haute couture. Before photography became the primary medium for marketing fashion, there was René Gruau with his pens, brushes, watercolors, and inks. Beginning in 1940 when he helped create the Miss Dior campaign, and for more than two decades, Gruau was at the forefront of fashion design. In addition to his long and fruitful partnership with Dior this book features sublime reproductions of Gruau’s work with luxury designers such as Givenchy, Chanel, Balenciaga, Lacroix, and Schiaparelli. It looks at the artistic influences--from Toulouse-Lautrec to Kabuki theater—that shaped his use of pigment and line and demonstrates how, with just a few strokes and a splash of color, he managed to capture the perfection of a woman’s hat, or make tangible a perfume’s alluring scent. A gorgeous introduction to French fashion’s golden age, this definitive volume is also an indispensable reference for anyone interested in fashion design, haute couture, and commercial illustration.

Primarily known for his colorful and vivacious portrayals of women, Rene Gruau revolutionized the concept of masculinity in fashion imagery and advertising from the 1950s to the '80s, depicting the modern casual, confident man with humor and sex appeal--including images of partial male nudity that were considered shocking at the time.

Part of a series of handy, luxurious Flame Tree Pocket Books. Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are printed on foil in five colours, embossed then foil stamped. And they're delightfully practical: a pocket at the back for receipts and scraps, two bookmarks and a solid magnetic side flap. These are perfect for personal use, handbags and make a dazzling gift. This example features René Gruau's lively work 'Bal du Moulin Rouge'.

Internationally acclaimed interior design sensation Miles Redd is known for his quirky brand of cozy glamour. His unique aesthetic vision is characterized by playful mélanges of high and low, invigorated with whimsical splashes of color and modern gestures. Drawing on inspirations ranging from Richard Avedon fashion photographs to Rene Gruau illustrations, Redd has crafted interiors for a wide array of venues. His Trademark approach to design has brought to life rooms infused with boldness, fantasy, and sophistication. This lavishly illustrated volume will be an inspiration to anyone interested in spirited, eclectic design.

This lavishly illustrated and beautifully designed book celebrates the colorful lives and dazzling work of the great twentieth-century fashion illustrators, as chosen by one of today's leading fashion artists, David Downton. The book concludes with a portfolio of David Downton's own work, featuring drawings of the Paris haute couture shows and portraits of contemporary icons such as Dita Von Teese and Linda Evangelista. Many of the stunning images in Masters of Fashion Illustration have not been seen since they were first published.

The first monograph on the internationally renowned fashion artist David Downton. With a foreword by Christian Lacroix, and an afterword by Dita Von Teese, this book showcases more than 150 of David's drawings of celebrated women from the worlds of film, fashion, and style. The illustrations are enlivened by fascinating anecdotes revealing behind-the-scenes stories, and by specially commissioned photographs documenting the glamour of portrait sittings in London, Paris, and New York.