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.

***

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!:





- xxx - 

49 comments

  1. Oh wow this is cool. I like how you paired your fashion commentary with Candie's sketches. Fantastic idea.
    LaToya
    www.toyastales.blogspot.com

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    1. Ahh thank you so much, so glad you liked it! .x

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  2. Great sketches! Love this post!
    Hugs,
    Love from www.trangscorner.com {a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food blog}

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  3. I like your blog, its really dope.
    Do you want to follow each other?
    If you want, than follow me, and let me know in comments, so I can follow you back with pleasure.

    We can follow each other on Instagram @andjela.dujovic, let me know in the comments so I can follow you back.

    www.bekleveer.com
    xoxo

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  4. These illustrations are SO gorgeous, I love the art style! You're right, fashion illustration is so important and I feel like it's hugely overlooked as part of the industry when in reality the clothes we love so much wouldn't be around without them xx
    britishmermaid.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. They're stunning aren't they Cara?! Thank you very much for your lovely comment .xx

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  5. Is a fascinating side of fashion to, great works that you show

    Melange-Boutique Blog || Instgram

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  6. Such an interesting post! I used to illustrate like crazy when I was younger, I would even create my own entire collections - on paper only though! It is indeed a very fascinating aspect of the industry and it's one that you don't often hear about!

    MY LATEST POST
    bloglovin
    Instagram

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    1. Ahh thank you so much Athena! I completely agree; it definitely needs to be praised more! You should start illustrating again; it's such a great talent to have .x

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    1. Thank you Josephin, glad you like them! .x

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  8. Beautiful pictures dear:)
    kisses
    http://irreplaceable-fashion.blogspot.com/

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  9. Love these! So inspiring x

    You have such a pretty blog! Love your posts. Would you maybe want to follow each other? Let me know by leaving a comment on my blog x

    Lina / lina-khalifa.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you Lina, I'm glad you love the illustrations & blog! .x

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  10. This is great :)

    aniaanaa.blogspot.com

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  11. Gorgeous illustrations! I love the Saint Laurent one the best as well. Amazing work!
    ~Lili
    www.thefashionsalt.com

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    1. Incredible aren't they, Lili?! It's a masterpiece haha, I love it! Thank you for visiting .x

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  12. So true! And I am so glad that it is having a comeback. Have you heard of Garance Dore? If not check out her site and her illustrations, jus gorgeous.

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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    1. Glad you agree, Alicia! I hadn't but I've just looked her up and saw her illustrations, I agree - they're gorgeous! .x

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  13. Wow, these illustration are amazing! They really make the creations come to life. The artist has incredible talent.
    Beaumiroir

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    1. Thanks so much Lulle, I completely agree! .x

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  14. Wow, such extraordinary sketches! I love all of the emphasis on the texture of the garments :D loving your blog, Faye! xx

    elizabeth ♡ ”Ice Cream” whispers Clara | (doing follow for follow on bloglovin or instagram)

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    1. That's what I love about them Elizabeth; they really emphasise the clothing - such a great interpretation! Thank you for your lovely comment and I'm glad you like my blog! .xx

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  15. These illustrations are beautiful.

    Melanie | The Mel Division

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    1. I'm glad you like them as much as I do, Melanie! .x

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  16. Wow, you have a gift, those are amazing! Xo, Sophia

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    1. They're not my illustrations Sophia, but Candie definitely does have a gift! .x

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  17. Wow, these illustrations are incredible! Your friend is very talented, loved this post :)

    http://allure-square.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you so much lovely, so glad you like them! .x

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  18. I have never seen a post about fashion illustrations before & I loved reading this post, it's really interesting and inspiring. And you're right, fashion illustrations are often overlooked but they play a major role in the fashion industry and should be given far more credit. I wish I was good at sketching, these illustrations are so unique and powerful. xx

    113-things-to-say.blogspot.com

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    1. Wow, thanks so much for your lovely comment, Mira! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for visiting! .xx

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  19. This was such an interesting & different blog post to read, I really enjoyed reading it & looking at all the beautiful fashion illustrations! So pretty!

    www.leahrachelgoth.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Aww thank you so much Rachel, so glad that you enjoyed it! .xx

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  20. oh my goodness these illustrations are AMAZING!

    xo Sarah
    http://absolutelysarahx.blogspot.com

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    1. They're stunning aren't they, Sarah? So glad you like them! .x

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  21. Awesome Illustrations. Love these!

    www.luv4beautyblog.com

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  22. Hi Faye and thank you for your visit! I like very much these illustrations. YSL is my favorite too !!! Today I have started following you on Google+. Hope you follow me back. What do you think to follow us also on Bloglovin or other socials? Let me know....Have a nice day, kisses,
    Eni

    Eniwhere Fashion
    Eniwhere Fashion Facebook

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    1. You're welcome Eni, so glad you like them! & will do! .x

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  23. Oh, your blog is beautiful! The illustrations just blew me away; I couldn't stop staring!
    ChicAndAlluring.com

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