Fashion Illustration Throughout History

Reflect on costume illustration from 1540-1800. What are you drawn to? Or not drawn to?

One of the styles I was drawn to is towards the end of the seventeenth century. On page 271, Figure 17. A and B, those types of dresses stand out to me. For one how would they even be able to sit in those dresses? I have never been able to understand that fashion. Then to illustrate the magnitude of the dresses on top of that amazes me even more.

How did fashion and fashion illustration evolve over the centuries?

Fashion evolved in many different ways. It started as a status quo to show your level of wealth. Then eventually it was more tendered towards women to where men didn’t care as much about it anymore. The illustrations started to become more detailed and colorful throughout the centuries. Illustrations of the clothing took off to eventually start magazines. These magazines were able to help spread the word and showcase the new upcoming fashions. By the end of the 1950s, fewer illustrations were used for these magazines. Everyone was slowly transferring to photography instead. The illustrations that were being used weren’t as many representations of the actual clothing, but more so what they represented artistically.

What is editorial fashion?

It is more about the representation of the fashion than the actual fashion itself. This was to help free the illustrators from making exact replicas of the clothing. Instead, they could use more creative freedom to express their interpretation of those items.

How did photography impact fashion illustration?

By the late 1950s, it impacted fashion illustration greatly. By using photography, magazines were able to not only see the actual clothing, but they would also be able to send out their issues faster. Using photography rather than illustrations sped up the process immensely. Unfortunately, you don’t get the same type of mood that you could get from the actual illustrations. I also feel that this takes away from more creative freedom and expression.

Reflection on the reading: what's your opinion of photography's indexicality?

I think the part where the meaning of indexicality clicked for me was, “… because he knows the deeply personal photograph of his dead mother cannot affect the reader/viewer as it does him.” The reality of pictures is different for everyone. If they can resonate emotions with certain images it is because of the experiences they have been through. A picture of the Grand Canyon is beautiful, but when you are standing at the Grand Canyon it is completely surreal. You can never fully capture that kind of beauty and emotion in a photograph.

Reflect on the video: discuss organized lighting and theatrical elements of photography.

There needs to be a good light source with all photography and paintings. You want the audience to clearly visualize the picture, stage, or painting. The message won't get across if they can’t see what they’re looking at because of all the shadows. “The brightest light makes the deepest shadows.” I loved when Hockney said this because it is always a good reminder to keep in your thoughts when working with photography or illustrations.

How was painting "revived" after the advent of photography?

The painting was “revived” because there were certain things painters could capture that the photographers couldn’t. The mist was an example that Hockney used. The impressionist painters were able to make the illustration of mist where photographers couldn’t capture it because it was too dark to be able to.