The Illustrator

Hello everyone! I apologise for not posting for a couple of weeks, but I've been pretty busy with University and so haven't had much chance to shoot! However, I'm back, and this week with a different yet exciting post about the importance of fashion illustration.




Fashion illustration is one of the most important aspects of the industry; not only is it elegant and a way for one to express their personality, but it also establishes the founding blocks for all collections as it is the formation of designs. Fortunately for me, one of fashion's greatest upcoming illustrators is a close friend of mine: Candie Payne. Beginning illustrating at a young age, Candie has long been a perfecter of sketches, her more recent work focusing on fashion and its current collections. Candie and I both have a great love of the fashion industry, and when discussing our favourite collections from the most recent fashion month (showcasing AW16 RTW collections), Candie kindly offered to create some beautiful illustrations for myself and this blog.

The latest fashion month showcased an array of new ideas, from collections like Alexander McQueen which incorporated a strong sense of enchantment and magic in the clothing, to many others which honoured fashion traits of the past (Balmain and Marc Jacobs which are discussed below). When Candie asked me which collections I wanted her to illustrate, I began to think of those with the boldest structures, in particular those which honoured the shape of the female body. Below are the collections I chose which I believe depicted this idea perfectly, and Candie's extraordinary interpretations of them.

Balmain AW16

Olivier Rousteing's AW16 Balmain collection was a stunning portrayal of elegance, power and femininity. Whilst most people simply talked about the unexpected 'hair swaps' of the models, Candie and I instead discussed the the French courtly aspects of the collection due to the tiny corseted waists, and how the pastel colours of the collection highlighted its major parallels to that of Marie-Antoinette's wardrobe. I loved Rousteing's perfect balance between female gracefulness and empowerment across the collection. Candie has captured these ideas perfectly through her illustrations; she has massively emphasised the female body shape, the tiny waist in particular on her second drawing highlighting Rousteing's emphasis on structure in clothing. The interlink between grace and power is prominent in her illustrations; she draws attention to the ruffled features of the clothing which suggest grace, yet also their dominating, powerful features, through not only her emphasis on sheer shoulder cuts and full hips, but also the bold stance of the models. What a perfect interpretation of such a striking collection!

Marc Jacobs AW16

Okay, so the Marc Jacobs show was bound to gain publicity as soon as people heard that Lady Gaga was walking it. But, Lady Gaga or no Lady Gaga, the collection was simply iconic; the idea of 'saving the best till last' was utterly true here for NYFW. Though all of the clothes were praised due to Jacobs honouring traits of the Victorian era, for Candie and I, it was the greatest of fashion month in terms of hair and beauty. No other fashion house could compete; Jacobs chose to give his models a daring, masculine complexion to enhance the striking nature of the clothing even more. The illustration that Candie has produced above shows this idea perfectly; her shading talents quite literally highlight the harrowing, haunting hair shapes on the model, whilst she also puts sharp emphasis on facial features. The presentation of the dramatic eye make-up mirrors the deliciously dark nature of each model that stepped onto the runway. I love how there is a lack of colour in this illustration; it makes her interpretation even more relative to the outstanding reaction that the show received.

Saint Laurent AW16 

Following the recent revelation that Hedi Slimane is departing from Saint Laurent, his AW16 collection most certainly sealed his legacy as being intelligently crafted. By far my favourite show from Paris Fashion Week, the Saint Laurent AW16 collection was dominated by black, offering a simple yet bold collection in the midst of colour and compoundness. In all honesty, this is my favourite illustration of the group Candie created for Faye-Isabella; I am completely mesmerised and in awe of it! I love how Candie has chosen to group three looks of this collection together in her illustration; the striking differences in shape interlock perfectly here in the stances of the models. Similar to her Balmain illustrations, Candie has used shading here to emphasise the cummerbund belts used in Slimane's looks, which pulled in the waist and highlighted the sheer and dramatic materials circulating the hips. A clear nod to the glamour of the eighties was present here, especially in the sequin embellishment decorations on many items of clothing. Candie has picked up on this idea in her illustration, and I love how she's chosen three looks from the show which characterise Slimane's eighties theme perfectly. Why is fashion illustration important, should you ask? Simply look at this masterpiece by Candie Payne; a true honour to Slimane as a designer and a sincere presentation of her artistic personality.

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A massive thank you to Candie Payne for allowing me to feature her stunning illustrations on my blog this week. I will be posting more of her incredible work in the future, so stay tuned for some more beautiful fashion illustrations of hers! If you're as fond of her work as I am, check out more of her illustrations on her social media pages, the links of which are below!:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/candiepayne_illustration

Facebook: www.facebook.com/candiepayneillustration

Twitter: www.twitter.com/candie_payne

Website: www.candiepayne.bigcartel.com

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