Diana Vreeland, the Illustrator's Muse

Mel Odom, Portrait of Ms Vreeland, 1980s.

With the possible exception of Anna Piaggi, the appearance of no other fashion editor or matriarch in fashion has had quite the influence on illustrators and artists like the figure of Diana Vreeland. Former editor in chief of American Vogue, Ms Vreeland's symbolic profile, one that can be reduced to just a nose bump and cigarette holder is one so recognizable and so emblematic of an era that many continue to be inspired to transcribe her image to this day. 

The results shown here by a significant roster of artists from past and present interestingly all portray Vreeland's iconic appearance consisting of black clothing, pale skin and red make-up, proving Vreeland's self-constructed image has equally immortalized itself alongside her leadership.

Mel Odom on the story behind his portrait:

"It was done in the 1980s as a thank you to Ms Vreeland for the giant signature she wrote in my copy of Allure. I did it overnight and ran it to her building the next day after I got the book. I did it so fast that years later when it was auctioned off with her other things I had forgotten even having done it. When the one-woman show about Ms Vreeland, "Full Gallop" was running in NYC I went to see it with friends. My drawing (actually a copy) was framed and hanging on the set of her apartment. I spoke with the stage manager who let me go on stage after the show for a closer look. He told me that if it was hanging on the set it had also been hanging in her home the same way, as the set was a precise copy of the real thing. I was thrilled!" Mel Odom

David Downton, Personal Work, 2013

"I think she appeals to artists so much because she was self-invented. Larger than life. In a sense she had already done the drawing. I would have loved to have met her..." David Downton

Richard Haines for What I Saw Today, 2011.

Richard Haines for What I Saw Today, June 2011.

Zoe Taylor, Too Much Night, Syntax Editions 3, 2010.

Diana Vreeland looks at a drawing with Cecil Beaton, 1965.

Jean Paul Goude, Lady Diana Vreeland, 2015.

Kenneth Paul Block, 1967.

Kenneth Paul Block, year unknown.

Mats Gustafson, 1982.

Antonio Lopez, year unknown.

Joe Eula, year unknown.

Richard Bernstein, Interview Magazine, December 1980.

Richard Ely, 1989.

Cecil Beaton, 1954.

Cecil Beaton

Diana Vreeland, The Modern Woman; The Bazaar Years 1936-1963. Rizzoli Publishing, 2015. 

René Bouché, Date Unknown

(t/y Mel Odom, David Downton)

Mats Gustafson for Dior Mag - Dior Couture Spring 2014.

Mats Gustafson continues his collaborations with Christian Dior with a new series of works focusing on their Spring Summer 2014 couture collection. Simon's recognisable silhouettes for the house serve as the perfect muse for Gustafson's style, who is known for interpreting the timeless looks of french designers including Azzedine Alaia throughout his career.

View the article here.

Flashback: Mats Gustafson for GQ, 1999

A rare menswear editorial by the master of silhouette, Mats style is as strong as it is ever here, his ability to sculpt 3d forms out of ink still unsurpassed. It's only a shame there aren't more menswear works from him (to my knowledge)!

Mats Gustafson - A 30 year retrospective

 For Christian Dior.




I first became aware of Mat's work when flicking through Nicholas Drake's Fashion Illustration Today in my college library (published 1987), featuring the illustration beneath. While his work has occasionally changed materials and the looks of the era have morphed, his style has remained resolute, simplified silhouettes that capture the proportions and characteristic of the outfit. In an industry that refreshes continuously, Mats' style has simply withstood the test of time.

He has that rare factor that makes a great fashion illustrator, something that I like to call Print Appeal. If it can transcend an article or editorial to the walls of your home or a (respectable) gallery, you know you have a great illustrator on your hands.

It's interesting to note in Another Magazine's interview that Mats has recently collaborated with Dior. As seen above, Mats has illustrated various looks since Raf's appointment, something I'll be keeping a close watch on over the upcoming seasons.

Original article over at Another Mag

For Decoy's previous HUGE post on Mats, click here

Dress and hooded scarf by Azzedine Alaia, autumn 1984. For 'Marie Claire Bis'

Mats Gustafson - Red Romance.

Mat's new editorial for Vogue China's new December issue is a study on the most memorable red pieces and silhouettes from the AW12/13 collections, featuring Marc Jacobs, Alexander Mcqueen, Galliano, Gucci, Dior, Valentino and Comme Des Garcons.

Mats Gustafson

There's not much that needs to be said about Mats work. It's so beautifully simple that discussing and dissecting his style feels completely unneccessary. Always graceful, graphic, timeless and stylish, his work transcends eras and defies becoming attached to a particular time period or decade. I've compiled as much as I can but the body of work is simply too exhaustive.
Mats has amassed a great amount of work in his signature stripped down aesthetic. Some nice diversions I managed to come across include different materials used and three mens illustrations. Mats draws from the best designers and for the best magazines, and that is how it should be for the best illustrators.

Make sure you look at the website for The Fashion Illustration Gallery. All the photographed spread images from the Vogue Italias that you see further down are from their site. There are even more gorgeous spreads to see over there and all the original magazines are available to purchase.

There's also his large portfolios over at Art _+ Commerce, his agency's site. There's plenty more work that isn't in this post, including stronger silhouettes and poses, although rather annoyingly, all the images are watermarked with the the Art + Commerce logo, but it's still worth looking. Enjoy!.




















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