Gianfranco Ferre Drawings

I have never seen fashion illustration this poised and perfected in my life.The nature of Gianfranco Ferre's line on paper is elegant, civilized, stern and commanding. His hand carries such integrity and creativity that it is at times hard to comprehend. These are the sketches of a true master of fashion and style: he was truly the architect of fashion. The garments he created will never go out of style, since he was the one that taught the world all about the modern elegance in fashion though his architectural 'modus operandi'. The expressiveness and movement of his lines that construct the sketches seduce your mind and make your eye move through the paper as if it were a landscape. He uses ink, pencils, crayons, markers, pens and even charcoal to emphasize a wide range of fabrics, embroidery and layers. What lies at the heart of his method is the silhouette of an eternally elegant woman. She is striking poses with moving hips, strong shoulders and extremely cinched waistlines.Lines criss-cross on paper like the contours of an energetic cityscape; interminably moving, moving and moving. This particular dynamic quality, which is essentially expressed throughout the portfolio, never takes a pause. At times Ferre's lines can even be considered 'violent'. Self-imposed and always very assertive at the core, the only description I can use is 'total and undeniable elegance throughout'.These sketches, and the clothes drawn here, are never unassuming. As an illustrator, he is aware of the importance of negative space around his lines and shapes, and how much that emptiness can simultaneously express placed next to a self-assured line. When you look at these illustrations, you can distinguish and analyze the individual articles of clothing - make no mistake. Yet, they are not as clearly emphasized or mapped out as some other fashion illustrators' more meticulous drawings. I am sure Ferre's atelier knew what every sketch meant, since these are the drawings of clothes after all. There are no meaningless or misplaced lines crowding the canvas.The most striking quality of the whole portfolio is the effortlessness of the hand. Needless to say, these were not some ardently constructed drawings that Ferre intended to frame or publish. They are the 'works-in-progress' - the essential and initial images of the thought-process that would eventually go on to ignite and shape entire collections of garments. They are his ideas and intentions, not just figurative lines and shapes to please the fashion-enthused public that would be in raptures to witness such masterful discipline and artistry on paper.I treasure this book for revealing the master's genius approach to fashion which was second to none, and the true power of his pencil which is beyond any measure imaginable.

I have always been a huge Ferre fan and I absolutely love the drawings in this book, really a timeless classic for designer books!!

This book is amazing! The drawings of this masterful designer are a true inspiration for those of us who are studying fashion illustration independently. Not only that, it is a joy just to look through it!

Great designer. Exciting to look at.