The Art of Style: The Unique Essence of Vintage Hand-Drawn Fashion Illustrations
In the realm of fashion, vintage hand-drawn illustrations stand as timeless artifacts, capturing the essence of romance and beauty woven into the fabric of clothing. In the age of social media our brains are awash with a constant stream of beautiful images, despite the dominance of photographs in contemporary fashion, these illustrations retain a unique allure that transcends. Delving into their history unveils a narrative rich in artistry and storytelling, from prestigious high fashion houses to the humble pages of Sears catalogs. However, as we marvel at their elegance, it's impossible to ignore a stark reality: the absence of Black people, within these illustrations.
Fashion illustration traces its roots back to the early days of haute couture, where skilled artists meticulously crafted visions of elegance and sophistication. These illustrations served as more than mere depictions of garments; they were windows into a world of glamour and aspiration. From the pages of Vogue to the advertisements of luxury brands, hand-drawn illustrations brought clothing to life with a romanticism that photographs often struggled to emulate.
Photos: General Research Division, The New York Public Library. "Cadrelya." The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
In the heyday of fashion illustration, artists like René Gruau and Antonio Lopez imbued their work with a sense of movement and emotion, capturing the fluidity of fabric and the allure of the human form. Each stroke of the pen or brush conveyed not just style, but also a narrative—a story of elegance, adventure, and desire.
Photo: Brooks Brothers
Even beyond the glossy pages of high-end magazines, fashion illustrations found a place in everyday life. From department store catalogs, to advertisements for household brands like Pendleton and Brooks Brothers, these drawings transformed mundane products into objects of desire. Each illustration was a miniature work of art, inviting viewers to imagine themselves adorned in the latest fashions, regardless of their social status.
Yet, amidst the beauty and sophistication of vintage fashion illustrations, there exists a glaring omission: the absence of diversity, particularly the absence of Black representation. In the glamorous world depicted by these drawings, Black people were often marginalized or entirely absent, reflecting the racial biases ingrained within the fashion industry and society at large.
For generations, mainstream fashion perpetuated narrow standards of beauty and elegance, but give a quick look through the yearbooks of historical black colleges and universities of a certain era, and you uncover an untapped well of style inspiration. The "preppy" ivy league style evokes a sense of Americana, attributed to those prestigious universities of the East Coast, but in the words of Outkast, "The South got something to say," And we've been saying it for a long time. "Getting Fresh" is a black thing.
Photo: Tuskeana 1964, personal collection
As we reflect on the enduring allure of vintage fashion illustrations, we must confront this uncomfortable truth. While we celebrate their artistry and craftsmanship, we cannot ignore the voices silenced, the perspectives that have been overlooked.
At Taliaferro Union, our journey is not just about crafting clothing; it's about weaving narratives, celebrating diversity, and reclaiming the beauty of vintage fashion illustration. Inspired by the timeless elegance of bygone eras and driven by a commitment to inclusivity, we embarked on a mission to create a capsule collection that pays homage to the rich legacy of African Americans in the world of style and the storied history of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Design Team: Taliaferro Union
In our pursuit of authenticity and representation, we turned to fashion illustration as a medium of expression, a canvas through which we could honor the contributions of African Americans to the tapestry of fashion. Paying homage to the black fashion illustrators such as Glenn Tunstull, LaMont O'Neal, Shawna McGee and Carol Mango and countless others. Every piece in this collection started as an idea then made their way to sketches in the margins of legal pads and notebooks. We honed those initial rudimentary sketches into the illustrations we present to you now. Through the art of fashion illustration, we reclaim our narrative, rewrite our story, and redefine the boundaries of beauty and belonging.
Design Team: Taliaferro Union
At Taliaferro Union, we invite you to join us on this journey—a journey of discovery, celebration, and transformation. Together, let us honor the past, embrace the present, and shape the future of fashion—from illustration to your personal collection.
Co-Founder/Designer, David A. Banks