Fashion illustration sees a decline as fashion photography gained the hearts of those in the publishing industry in the ’50s and ’60s. And it wasn’t until late ’90s that it reemerged in the pages of magazines. Banking on this newfound interest in fashion illustration, traveling exhibition Traits Très Mode arrives for a stint at Alliance Française de Singapour.
Fifteen leading illustrators are being featured in this trendy exhibition. Some of the bigger names to take note of include Florence Deygas, Monsieur Z and Jean-Philippe Delhomme. Florence Deygas has bagged the D&AD award for his title sequence and print ads for the movie Catch Me If You Can, while Monsieur Z has produced cartoons and videos that have been screened in cinemas and TV programs. Jean-Philippe Delhomme fuses wit and sociological viewpoints to produce riveting works.
Despite the different artistic styles prevalent in Traits Très Mode, one commonality between the works is the merging of different genres with the aesthetic rules of traditional French fashion illustration. Executive Director of Alliance Française de Singapour Pierre-Emmanuel Jacob quips, “Commercially, the illustrators have forged a visual language of their own. Incorporating the principles of graphic arts, it sipped into the world of contemporary arts, street art, ever-present photography and new technologies, and still keeping to the principle of its aesthetic heritage—a development that is shaping the unique artistic world of contemporary French fashion illustration.”
Considering the quality works being showcased, and the fascinating ways in how fashion illustration is evolving currently, Traits Très Mode is an absorbing show to catch. A visual banquet of colors, pen sketches and pencil markings is lined up and it just might inspire you to look at your clothes a little differently.
