Pourquoi Pas? Celebrates Fashion Illustrators

by Amelia Gray
Online Education Columnist

Students typically go to fashion school to become fashion designers, buyers, merchandisers, or marketers, but the true range of fashion careers may surprise you. Fashion illustrators have long waited in the wings, and one magazine aims to throw them into the spotlight.

Fashion illustrator David Downton is the force behind the new fashion illustration magazine Pourquoi Pas? (Why Not?), a periodical that recognizes big names in the industry. But what is fashion illustration? And how can art school students enter this up-and-coming field?

Applications of Fashion Illustration
Fashion illustrators may be designers themselves, or they may come to the profession from art schools without a fashion focus. A fashion illustrator might be hired by designers, merchandisers, marketers, or production houses, and their tasks might include the following:

• Illustrating a couture line from a designer's specifications
• Using digital imaging to translate illustrations into blueprints
• Creating illustrations for a magazine or gallery advertisement
• Working with marketers to sell a clothing line to prospective buyers

Even if your school does not offer a fashion design degree with a concentration in illustration, it may be possible to take individual classes to build the skills you need. Distance learning courses in computer-aided design, for example, can help illustrators improve their digital imaging skills.

The Future of Fashion Illustration
"It's never been a better time to be a fashion illustrator," Downton told The New York Times. "Because, in fact, there is no universal style; there's no prescribed way of working today." Fashion illustrators today have more creative license than ever before, and the most talented illustrators are beginning to enjoy their time at center stage.

Source
The New York Times, "Q&A: David Downton"

About the Author
Amelia Gray is a freelance writer in Austin, TX. Amelia earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Arizona State University and an MFA from Texas State University.

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