Fashion Illustration & Design

A design tutorial by Manuela Brambatti, Versace's chief design illustrator, the book is an idea of couturier Flavio Marconi who, impressed by her drawing style, her unique taste designing fashion collections and the precision with which she captures the flow of fabric over the body, convinced her to put it into print. Here Brambatti reveals her fresh and innovative style, not better than others, as she writes, but orginal and distinctive for Versace's workshop, halfway between fashion sketching and illustration.

Manuela Brambatti began to work in the fashion world in the late '70's for the fashion magazine Style and for other magazines. She has collaborated with Giorgio Correggiari, Krizia, and Gian Marco Venturi. Employee, and later exclusive partner of the Versace fashion house from 1981 to 2009, Manuela, was crucial in setting standards in the Style magazine for the presentation of all fashion collections and their illustrations and, in recent years, the Home Collection of the Brand.

Foreword writer Bruno Gianesi worked for Gianni Versace's for sixteen years as head stylist and manager of theatrical projects. He designed costumes for respected choreographers and directors such as Maurice Béjart, Roland Petit, William Forsythe, and Bob Wilson and designed also clothing for famous members of the international jet-set, including Elton John, Madonna, Lady Diana, and Sting. The journalist and foreword writer Tony di Corcia published several books about Gianni Versace.

Versace's chief illustrator teaches us how to draw, halfway between fashion sketch and illustration, in a non-classical and non-stereotypical way.
Just wanted to say how much I love the book and how much I get inspired by these amazing illustrations! Thank you for sharing your techniques ! It helps a lot ! Anastasiya Hubar, stylist Club Monaco, NY USA.--Anastasiya Hubar "Letter to the author"

"This book has been added to our recommended further reading list to support our students with their Life drawing/fashion Illustration studies. For our BA Fashion course. The book shows great examples of pencil drawings and also of colour added/finished result. Brilliant to see accessories/ceramics/homeware designs too. It is a lovely heavy glossy book which has been well organised and carefully written. Good to see that it shows which art materials are required to create a certain look. It would have been enhanced further by including how to use computer aided design in the illustration process, as this an industry standard now taught at degree level." Tracy Flounders - Lecturer - BA Hons Surface Pattern Design/Textile Surfaces/Fashion, School of Creative Arts & Engineering, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK