Big thanks to our friends: Ground-zero from UK and Jantine Van Peski from Belgium, allowing us to draw their outfits on big-size! Their outfits are so amazing! Here is the example drawings of their outfits on Fashionary templates drawn by our illustrator Vikki.

With basic drawing tools, pencils HB, 2B, 4B & 6B, Vikki drew on the super big fashion templates using the simple method, printing 10 A4 papers and make a super big Fashionary templates. It’s about 1:11 of original A5 Fashionary templates to super big templates!! More Jantine‘s collection “WIRES 10.0″ from her master degree at Antwerp Fashion Academy as below. Her work focus on silhouette and craftsmanship with her great technique. And it’s super cool!

Ground-zero was established in 2003 by the talented duo brothers, Eri and Philip chu. Unique graphic print is their icon.They create outfits with moods, thoughts and attitude. Our team love this chinese blue floral vase dress very much and we spent around 8 hours to sketch the beautiful floral prints in details.

Below is ground-zero CHINATOWN SS12 collection.

Another big thanks to Kinokuniya, Sydney! Three big posters are featured on their window display and we raised up a question in the middle poster: Do you sketch faster when using the Fashionary templates?

The result can be viewed online. According record from 10 Apr, 98.78% people say YES and find they sketch faster with their Fashionary! To poll now, please go here.

After a year, we would like to continue our illustrator series :)

Below are the illustrators we loved the most over the past year. If you missed our series, here is PART 1, PART 2.

1) Paperfashion, based in Boston, US

Kathryn Elyse Rodgers is currently working as an apparel designer for Reebok in Boston. She is a passionate, creative thinker and excited about her future and present. I love her way in expression the details of outfits so much, it’s interesting and full of texture!

2) George Stavrinos, based in NY, US  (1948–1990)

George Stavrinos was an amazing artist who sketched those fabulous Bergdorf’s ads in the New York Times. I found the realism of his fashion figures refreshing.  Sadly, the great Stavrinos passed away in 1990 at the young age of 42 due to complications from pneumonia.

3) Caroline Andrieu, based in Paris, France

As an art director in Vogue.fr for 5 years, Caroline has naturaly been influenced by her work and universe. She is fascinated by drawing and realistic outlines, has contributed to magazine such as Vogue, The Hub, So Chic, worked with young brands as Gat Rimon or Pop Cph, and regularly contributes to Diesel Fragrance Factory website.

4) Anna Kiper, based in NY, US

Anna Kiper is a leading New York City based fashion designer and professor at the USA’s two most prestigious fashion colleges, the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Parsons School of Design. Her work has been widely published in books and magazines, and her illustrations have been exhibited at highly respected venues in US. Recently, her new illustration book “Fashion Illustration – Inspiration and Technique” has been published.

5) Autumn whitehurst, based in NY, US

Autumn Whitehurst grew up in New Orleans and now resides in Brooklyn NY as a full time illustrator. She’s done advertising, editorial work, and CD covers for a list of clients which include Ecko Red, American Eagle Outfitters, Penguin Books, British and American Elle, Nylon Magazine, DDB, and Crush Design amongst others.

6) Connie Lim, based in London, UK

Connie Lim’s dark and mysterious works have totally captured my eyes. Her Illustrations are absolutely beautiful and she believe dark, mysterious and somewhat sexual are the qualities she can use to describe women.,  presented above are the dopest set of cards in the world.

7) Audrey Kawasaki, based in Los Angeles, US

Audrey Kawasaki is good at painting with oils and graphite directly on wood panels, bringing unexpected warmth to her compositions. Without exception, Audrey’s characters seem melancholic, captive in their own sensuous, dreamy universe, yet accessible and ready to be unraveled.

8) Erin petson, based in London,UK

An Artist and Illustrator, Erin works at the cutting edge of traditional and mixed media. Her love of drawing, mark making and montage create powerful and provocative images.Her subjects have a mystical energy that is ethereal and edgy.

9) Sylvia Ji, based in Los Angeles, US

With an artistic family, Sylvia Ji have been influenced by both her mother and father’s paintings and sketches. Focusing especially on feminine figures, Sylvia explores beauty, sensuality, social notions in provocative captivating artworks. Some of her heroines are symbolic reflections of her, others are fictional figures, juxtaposed with mystical landscapes, all bursting into passion and decay.

10) Spiros Halaris, based in London, UK

Spiros is a graphic design graduate from Middlesex University. He works with various techniques using collages, hand drawn as well as digital elements. Most of his images embrace emotions, human elements and fashion. He has worked for various fashion publications including Company, Swide by D&G and The Hub, and has featured in a number of illustration books.

11) Amelie Hegardt, based in Stockholm, Sweden

Bleeding ink and splashes of water definitely a trademark of Amelie Hegardt’s illustratior. She is based in Stockholm and her work is amazing. She sketches for mags such as Elle, Maxi, Madame, Plaza and Glamour. At this point we should probably also mention her advertising for Mac Cosmetics and Umberto Giannini.

12) Lovisa Burfitt, based in Paris, France

Fashion designer and illustrator Lovisa Burfitt lives and works in Paris since 2002. She made some great window art for H&M and worked for other clients as Bloomingdale’s, Kenzo, Absolut Vodka, Le Ciel Bleu in Tokyo and magazines as Vogue, ELLE, Sunday Times, THE/END, Fashion Tale, Milk and Costume. Beside the illustrations she also designs for her own clothing label Burfitt in Paris 2003 where her illustrations are a big part of the concept. It’s artful!

13) Martine Johanna, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Martine Johanna’s works are a combination of multiple feelings, sensations, and personal experiences. She finds inspiration in the vastest of cultural, historical and mythological backgrounds she never ceases to explore.

14) Miyuki Ohashi, based in Tokyo, Japan

Miyuki Ohashi is a Japanese illustrator, depicting glamorous women is simple strokes. Her style is unique and her artwork is truly amazing.

15) Julie Verhoeven, based in London, UK

I’m enchanted with artist Julie Verhoeven alluring and provocative illustrations. The London based fashion designer and illustrator has created work for big brands including Louis Vuitton, Versace and H&M. Beginning her career assisting John Galliano, she became a designer in her own right with her label Gibo by Julie Verhoeven.

16) Cassandra Rhodin, based in  Stockholm, Sweden

Cassandra Rhodin is a Swedish fashion illustrator that loves to draw bold, chic, sensual women inspired by the iconic style of the roaring 20s and by silent movie sirens: thin, elongated beauties with smoky smoldering eyes, pouty lips and Parisian flair.

17) Patrick Nagel,Los Angeles, US (1945-1984)

Nagel illustration is simple and streamlined, but Nagel’s woman is complicated – which is the key to her subliminal appeal. She wants attention, sometimes flauntingly, but remains distant. She appears intelligent, self-possessed, but removed. Nagel often said that he didn’t really want to know these women too well. He imagined them as creatures of the night who drank and smoked too much.

18) Carl Erickson, based in NY, US (1891 – 1958)

Leading fashion and advertising artist, especially well known for this work for Vogue and cosmetics. Erickson, indeed, is a hard-working man, a very serious artist who is usually practicing when not actually performing. For every piece of work reproduced in the magazines he has made dozens of studies. In spare moments he is usually busy drawing or painting from the model – he never draws without a model – and his sketchbook goes with him to the restaurant and the theatre.

19) Kelly Smith, based in Tasmania, Australia

Kelly Smith is a freelance Illustrator and she graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Tasmanian School of Art & has since gone on to pursue a career in both portrait & fashion illustration.

20) Anna Higgie, based in Barcelona, Spain

Anna Higgie mix contemporary art with vintage influences, notable technical skills. The grace, youth and style, bold graphic abstraction and honest curves on edges of eyes, shoulders and faces celebrate the human form.

21) Catalina Estrada, based in Barcelona, Spain

Born and raised in Colombia, and living in Barcelona since 1999, Catalina brings all the colors and power of Latin-American folklore and refines it with a subtle touch of European sophistication. Some of her clients include: Paul Smith, Coca-Cola, Sony Music, Camper, Nike, Levis, Smart/Mercedes Benz, Unicef, Motorola, Chronicle Books, Zara Home, among many others.

22) Coco pit, based in London, UK

Coco finds inspiration in a wide variety of places. Living between Paris and London she feels at ease with the visual landscapes of both cities – as art and fashion capitals, they are a byword for innovation, creativity and metropolitan edge. She likes to mix several techniques but aims for restraint and minimalism in the finished work as she likes the results achieved from combining these two approaches.

23) Maren Esdar, based in Hamburg, Germany

German illustrator Maren Esdar was educated both as a stylist and illustrator in Hamburg and London.Her original, surreal and stylish mixed media collages, composed both by hand and computer are her iconic work. She has been published in Vogue, W, NY Times, Esquire and Surface amongst others.

24) Jennifer Busking, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Jennifer Busking is a talented, young fashion illustrator from Netherlands who studied fashion design. Her characters are Mysterious and  share a strong connection with wildlife, impeccably drawn with thin pens and pencils finished by delicate watercolor strokes on paper.

25) Vita Yang, based in Taiwan

Vita Yang holds a BA degree in National Taiwan University of Arts in Visual Communication Design. Her illustration works can be seen in Vogue Taiwan, The Big Issue Taiwan, Elle Taiwan. Also she has collaborated with NIGO’s HUMAN MADE, illustrated  for the 2011 SS collection on the official website. Series work: “This is why I miss London so much.” was awarded of NIGO Prize and also chosen work of American Illustration 30.

26) James Hamilton Butler, based in Manchester, UK

English artist James Hamilton is already adept in a variety of creative media from costume, embroidery and fashion design, as well as a number of print-based illustration commissions from both corporate clients and individual illustration commissioners including Swarovski.

27) Fleur van maarschalkerwaart, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The loose way of Fleur van maarschalkerwaart’s illustrations’ techniques is cool and it’s creative that some of the drawings are  using thread as the media. It’s artistic. Her works had been exhibited in Amsterdam, Paris and New York.

28) Marguerite sauvage, based in Paris, France

Marguerite Sauvage has worked since 2001 as an illustrator, art director and animator creating chic modern illustrations that capture the lifestyle of today’s trendsetters. With illustration that is stylish yet accessible, she has been in demand with prominent advertising and corporate clients including PlayStation, Apple, Marshall Fields, Motorola or Orange.

29) Katy Smail, based in NY, US

KT Smail is a Scottish illustrator who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a First class degree in Illustration. She now lives in New York where she continues to draw tragic girls with broken hearts, faraway lovers and dusty dresses….

30) Paul Iribe, based in France (1883-1935)

His works in the pochoir technique greatly appealed to the couturier because their simple lines and broad, flat, abstract expanses of bright color perfectly captured the simple Empire-style dresses he was then known for. “Les Robes de Paul Poiret”, the resulting publication, was highly influential, and brought Iribe great fame, as well as numerous additional requests from other designers, including Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Jeanne Paquin, the Callot Soeurs and Jacques Doucet, for whom he was asked to redecorate his apartment in the newly fashionable Art Deco style.

High Fashion in 8-bit

Inspired by the retro 8-bit graphic, we mixed the pixel with the Fashionary templates

to create various pieces we love the most :)

Prints are available for purchase, details please see below.

Product details:

A0 (841 × 1189mm) – US$60

A1 (594 × 841mm) - US$45

Printed on exquisite, heavy weight, matte paper

Free shipping worldwide, with a thick-walled tube for maximum protection.

If you are interested, please email: penter@fashionary.org

With the technology advantages, print becomes more and more sophisticated and well engineered. Digital print taking the role of the traditional screen printing and bring the design to another level of possibilites. I am driven crazy by the vivid color and the shade of the print that overwhelmed the whole body. We would love to share some of the collections we love over the recent years.

Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2010

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

McQueen SS2010 is a collection telling the story of women morphing into creatures of the deep as the seas slowly reclaimed planet earth. The models wore sculpted dresses, with computerised, digitally-enhanced prints of fantastical fish, snakes, praying mantis, moths, beetles and giant squid.

Distressed metal harnesses, girdles and collars clung, crablike, in the manner of carapaces. Some girls wore dresses in iridescent tulle with waving “fronds”, suggesting cyber-jellyfish; others gleamed in golden, fish-scale ‘armour’ like warrior-mermaids.

Prada Spring Summer 2008

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

Prada SS08 collection entitled “Florid”. Prada says it “represents the somewhat perverse intersection between Hieronymus Bosch and Aubrey Beardsley. The image depicts an intense landscape of man-eating flowers, dragons, hybrid creatures and eerie fairies.”

It is completely vibrant and romantic, with local LA artist James Jean’s amazing illustration on the chiffon dress, the 70s trousers and the qi-pao style one-piece……leading us to the fantasy wonderland of Prada.

Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2009

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

The spectacular multi coloured geometrical crystal prints are the icon of Alexander McQueen’s SS09 collection. Mcqueen applied them to leggings, dresses, and jackets. The prints looks good both from a distance and close up, while their sharp, geometric lines keep them feeling sharp as opposed to frumpy.

The prints seem to us to be both futuristic and at the same time, with their sharp, symmetrical geometric nature, redolent of futurist designs, and graphic design from the 20s and 30s, with a sort of ‘brave new world’ attitude.

Balenciaga Spring Summer 2008

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

Spring 2008 Balenciaga show was a smashing hit, even if many popped up the question if they are wearable or not referring to Ghesquiere’s new Balenciaga designs: sculptural silhouettes, prominent hips, shoulders and gladiator shoes, matching with the incredible colorful floral prints.

Mary Katrantzou Autumn Winter 2011/2012

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

Mary Katrantzou AW11 collection left the audience speechless in London fashion week. It can only be described as a living work of art. Exquisite in every detail, from the prints to the silhouette, the whole collection felt very haute couture.

The prints were derived from priceless objets d’art: Fabergé eggs, Qianlong dynasty china laid perfectly across the female form in rich decadent prints. The silhouette of rounded skirts was inspired by the form of porcelain bowls and peplums over the hips imitated opened and halved Fabergé eggs. The collection is liberated and a creatively wearable art.

McQueen Autumn Winter 2009/2010 Menswear

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

Dries Van Noten Autumn Winter 2008/2009

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

DVN experiment traditional painting and marblized printing technique that beautifully distorted the paisleys and micro flowers. One of the thing I love about this collection is the use of subtle color yet a very colorful combination.

The collection also put together with multi-strapped, multicolored high-heeled sandals, the impression of grace in movement became poetically compelling. Even though there was, ultimately, a nod toward the ethnic embroidered vest and dress beloved by classic Dries customers.

Basso and Brooke Spring Summer 2009

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

Basso & Brooke’s inspiration for Spring/Summer 09 is the idea of a “High-Tech Romance”. The story offers a glimpse into the spirit and grandeur of the Heian era of Japan. The manipulation and asymmetrical essence of natural elements is an important influence for this season’s prints.

Traditional Japanese motifs including rabbits, birds, flowers, waves, sumi-e strokes, calligraphy are celebrated and contrasted against simple and technologic graphic patterns. Signature dresses are the foundation of the collection with the technical construction of the garments being mathematical and logical.

Manish Arora Spring Summer 2009

Full Collection | Catwalk Video

“Circus was a theme which I thought was easily related to everybody, it could be a child, it could be an adult, it could be all young.” Manish Arora’s SS09 collection inspired by acrobats, clowns, show animals.

Digitally printed sequin and traditional Indian gota embroideries are important elements in this collection of mini skirts, voluminous jackets, ruffled skirts combined with clown pants, bat-wing sleeves and jumpsuits. Scenes from the circus can be found embroidered and bejeweled with Crystallized – Swarovski Elements. He poured whimsy and glee into the center ring for his Spring/Summer 09 collections in Paris.

Setareh Mohtarez

Full Collection

If you are love galaxy elements, you definitely can’t miss out the SS09 collection from Setareh Mohtarez. Setareh Mohtarez is a NYC-based designer whose work combines shape, movement, texture, and color.

She nurtured her creative vision while attending the fashion department at the Antwerp Royal Academy. After delivering her award-winning “Brightness Dawn” collection in 2009, she started her eponymous label. Setareh’s vision embraces innovation and fantasy, while keeping a strong respect for classic elegance. She is drawn to the mysterious and her work tells a distinct story that is close to her heart.

Any more you guys love to share with us?

Eastern art has long been found in modern fashion, especially in some Haute Couture Collections (Dior and Valentino). The modern fashion trend is started in the West and when it meet the east, the culture mix together to form a unique and interesting style. Just like the trendies blending with the traditional. Here, I am not talking about the Kimono and Qi-Pao in the Eastern fashion, I want to focus on the art and painting from the East that influence the Western fashion world.

1. Chinese Pattern

Monotone is the main style in traditional Chinese painting, like the landscape ink painting, the blue decorative painting on china pot. It represent a Zen culture, a minimal style. The textile for the upper class is colorful though, with elegant embroidery.

Dragons are common in Chinese art as it represents the emperor. The dragon always come with cloud to show that it is flying in the sky. And landscape, flower, bird, fish and shrimp are also the usual topic.

And in traditional drawing, the perspective is fake 3 dimensional, flat but rich in content, it can be extended easily so the art is suitable to create textile.

Start from Left: Jean Paul Gaultier S08C, Vivienne Tam S07RTW, Valentino S08C, Gucci Resort10

Textile characteristic: detailed, vibrant, ink style, embroidered.

2. Japanese Pattern

Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper and more recently manga, cartoon, along with a myriad of other types of works of art. It is more vibrant than those in China, and more crisp line, more “vector art” in modern terms. The symbol pattern represent some kind of honor in the Samurai’s armor.

Japanese art also don’t have a real 3D perspective, so it can be extended easily, like the painting on Ukiyo-e (meaning “floating world”), and which make it more easy to transform into textile.

Start from Left: Christian Dior S07C, Alexis Mabille AW10C, Basso and Brooke S09RTW, Armani Prive S09C

Textile characteristic: detailed, vibrant and colorful, vector style, embroidered.

3. Indian Pattern

Indian art can be classified into specific periods each reflecting certain religious, political and cultural developments. One can find many symbols in their culture as they are linked to spiritual states. The paintings is rich in details and gold foil are found in many of them. They are mainly for religious purpose.

Elephants are popular in Indian, as it was the chosen carriage for many gods in the legend. And a white elephant is special as there is a story about Buddha’s mother dreamed of a white elephant. And then the prophet of peace Gautam Buddha was born.

Start from Left: Kenzo S2009 RTW, Etro S2009 RTW, Dries Van Noten FW2008 RTW, Balenciaga FW2007 RTW

Textile characteristic: colourful, rich patterned and textured, contain symbol, light weight.

4. Islamic Pattern

Islamic art is not an art pertaining to religion only. The term “Islamic” refers not only to the religion, but to the rich and varied Islamic culture as well.

According to the Encarta “Islamic art is developed from many sources: Roman, Early Christian, and Byzantine styles were taken over in early Islamic architecture; the influence of Sassanian art—the architecture and decorative art of pre-Islamic Persia was of paramount significance; Central Asian styles were brought in with various nomadic incursions; and Chinese influences had an important effect on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles.”

There are repeating elements in Islamic art, such as the use of geometrical floral or vegetal designs in a repetition known as the arabesque. The arabesque in Islamic art is often used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of Allah.

Start from Left: Chanel Resort10, Valentino S09 Couture, Christian Lacroix F2007 Couture, Matthew Williamson S2008 RTW

Textile characteristic: detailed, geometric patterned, embroidered, contain symbols.