Wolf Whistle

Fashionably Undead: Fumie Sasabuchi Artwork

The Undead: a new concept of beauty?

Plenty of people would argue that the vast majority of high-fashion models are walking skeletons, so Fumie Sasabuchi's artwork transforming models into literal skeletons seems uncomfortably unnerving and yes... a little apt.

Fumie Sasabuchi adds pen, pencil and ink drawings of exposed bones, muscles, sinews and organs to magazine fashion images, literally changing traditional symbols of beauty into the living dead. The comparison of death and Chanel makes for an interesting one!

 

This last image is my favourite. There's something really powerful in the idea of the sheer bones being an item of beauty - or in the case of these, death being the ultimate aphrodisiac. It's definitely a concept that deals with lots of taboo ideas. I don't want to put words in the artists mouth, but these pictures remind me of anorexia and its fetishisation. Size zero, anyone?

Laura Laine Illustration

Above: Gareth Pugh

There's so much amazing fashion illustration out there and I'm always glad to stumble across another illustrator that's new to me. I've very impressed by these drawings by the talented (and beautifully named) Laura Laine.

Above: Kenzo.

Below: Viktor & Rolf.

Her website is enigmatic, so I don't know much about Laura herself, but I know that I love what I see! The mood and motion of these models is superb. View more at her website, Lauralaine.net.

Below: Balenciaga.

If you're a fashion illustrator and would like to be featured on Wolf Whistle, or if you happen across someone you think I should showcase, do let me know!

Fashion Illustration Now: Sandra Suy

For one of my projects at school I'm writing a feature on fashion illustration now, so you lucky guys and girls can expect lots of posts of the fruit of my labours, full of beautiful images of wonderful clothes. Nice, huh?

Today's talent is the amazing Sandra Suy. I love her strong, block colours for the clothes contrasting with the soft, faded pencil lines of the models themselves. The way she elegantly draws a hand trailing off into nothingness, or hair fading away towards the crown is so beautiful. She also gives her illustrations an added dimension by making them on gorgeously textured brown paper.

 

Below - Left: Balenciaga . Right: Pucci.  

 Below - Left: Chloe. Right: McQueen. I need to make another post on this amazing red-feathered dress, as it seems to be cropping up everywhere!

Below - Left: McQueen. Right: I don't recognise it. Help me out?

  Click to see more of her illustrations on Dripbookor Myspace.

What Would Wilma Wear? Prehistoric Edition

National Geographic magazine is taking Fashion History to a whole new level by asking a selection of Project Runway designers to clothe a Neanderthal woman in traditional materials.

In the October edition of the magazine, NG showed readers the the first life-size, scientifically accurate reconstruction of a Neanderthal woman that has been constructed based on fossil anatomy and ancient DNA. (How amazing is it that science can do things like this?!) She is five feet tall, heavily muscled and nude, as anthropologists believe that Neanderthals probably went naked in the summer.

From the National Geographic blog:

"We thought Wilma, as magazine staffers affectionately call her, might have occasionally craved a cover-up. So we asked some of the Project Runway designers to sketch an outfit for her, featuring materials that would have been available in Neanderthal times: animal skins (aka “leathuh”), fur, bones, and ocher body paint."

I've never watched the show - shocking for a Fashion Journalism student, I know! - but I thought this was a great idea. Here are my three favourites:

Blayne Walsh, Season 5




Terri Stevens, Season 5

 

and Mollie Bates of National Geographic magazine.

Bonus points to Mollie for designing for the womans true shape! Check out the other outfits here.

(Via Winona, from the hilarious blog Daddy Likey, who is currently interning for NG. I'm jealous!)

Art by Aksiniya

Loving these amazing fashion illustrations by the talented Aksiniya of Artaksiniya - be sure to check her blog for more gorgeous images. Her quirky and original paintings and drawings bring such a great spirit to the pieces. Above: Nathan Jenden - loving this dress, which reminds me of origiami and sweet wrappers. Delicious! Below: Miu Miu shoes, too cute.

 

Above: John Galliano. Below: Prada. Don't you love those foxy curvy mamas?

The last image some of you may recognise as the brilliant blogger Susie Bubble of Style Bubble. I can only hope that one day Aksiniya will draw me!