FASHION ILLUSTRATION TUESDAY: ELISABETTA FRANCHI SPRING SUMMER 2022

Hello and welcome to another fashion illustration post. In this post, I shall share my fashion illustrations inspired by Elisabetta Franchi's Spring Summer 2022 collection.  I have recently watched the video presentation of this 2022 collection and it left quite a favorable impression on me. In fact, I don't remember when I enjoyed watching a video of some fashion collection as much. This favorable and lasting impression was not created only by the beauty of the collection itself, rather I enjoyed the entire presentation- the models, the styling and the location chosen for this runaway. The collection draws heavily on safari chic but manages to be wonderfully feminine and elegant at the same time. What particularly appealed to me was the immaculate tailoring and cleverly chosen accessories that helped to elevate some of more casual looks. If someone had told me  (prior to seeing this collection) that denim could look so timelessly elegant, I wouldn't have believed it. Sometimes you have to see in order to believe.  Not that this collection is all about denim, but there were quite a few denim looks that captured my attention. Moreover, they were the ones I ended up illustrating.

Pozdrav i dobrodošli u još jednu objavu o modnim ilustracijama. U ovom postu podijelit ću svoje modne ilustracije inspirirane kolekcijom Elisabette Franchi za proljeće ljeto 2022. Nedavno sam gledala video prezentaciju ove kolekcije za 2022. godinu i ostavila je doista povoljan dojam na mene. Zapravo, ne sjećam se kad sam toliko uživala gledajući video neke modne kolekcije. Ovaj povoljan i trajan dojam nije stvorila samo ljepota same kolekcije, nego sam uživala i u cijeloj prezentaciji – modelima, stajlingu i mjestu odabranom za ovu modnu pistu. Kolekcija se uvelike oslanja na safari šik, ali uspijeva biti prekrasno ženstvena i elegantna u isto vrijeme. Ono što me posebno privuklo je besprijekorno krojenje i pametno odabrani dodaci koji su pomogli u podizanju nekih ležernijih kreacija. Da mi je netko rekao (prije nego što sam vidjela ovu kolekciju) da traper može izgledati tako bezvremenski elegantno, ne bih vjerovala. Ponekad morate vidjeti da biste vjerovali. Nije da je ova kolekcija isključivo orijentirana na traper i jeans materijale, ali bilo je dosta denim lookova koji su mi privukli pažnju. Štoviše, oni su bili oni koje sam na kraju odabrala ilustrirati.

Yes, I've chosen to illustrate two looks from this collection, both of them being full denim looks. The colour palette for both of these outfits was brown and blue. The first look was a long maxi denim dress with ruffles, the other denim set (jacket and mini ruffled skirt). The challenge in this illustration was capturing this particular shade of denim. Now, I have illustrated denim items before, but this was my first time illustrating a runaway denim look. I wanted to make sure I will do justice to these Elisabetta Franchi's creations, so I worked slowly. I guess it was time to capture some more of Italian chic in my art so I did my best. The medium for these illustration was watercolour pencil on paper. More about that later. Scroll down to learn and see more about this collection and the art it inspired.

Da, odabrala sam ilustrirati dva izgleda iz ove kolekcije, a oba su krojena od trapera. Paleta boja za obje ove kreacije bila je smeđa i plava. Prvi look je bila duga maxi traper haljina s volanima, drugi traper komplet (jakna i mini suknja s volanima). Izazov na ovoj ilustraciji bio je uhvatiti ovu posebnu nijansu trapera. I prije sam ilustrirala odjevne predmete krojene od trapera, ali ovo mi je bio prvi put da ilustriram traper kombinaciju s modne piste. Htjela sam biti sigurna da ću dobro prikazati ove dvije kreacije Elisabette Franchi, pa sam radila polako. Medij za ove ilustracije bila je akvarel olovka na papiru. Više o tome kasnije. Nastavite čitati kako biste saznali i vidjeli više o ovoj kolekciji i modnim ilustracijama koje je nadahnula. 

THE MAKING OF THE FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS

THE CHALLENGE OF ILLUSTRATING DENIM

 MEDIUM WATERCOLOUR PENCIL ON PAPER

MAXI DENIM DRESS LOOK 

Let's start with the first look I illustrated. Once again, I opted for a fashion figure instead of the normal one. If you check the collages bellow, you will be able to see step by step illustrating process. I worked on illustrating the fabric quite slowly, as I have a limited experience of illustrating denim with watercolour pencils. As always when working with watercolour pencils, first I sketched the general outline, then I worked on the structure. Finally I filled in the details and corrected shading. I was worried some of the denim fabric structure will be lost once I apply water to it but I managed to avoid that problem with some careful brush work. Working on the leather items required some concentration as well. Aren't the bag and the belt beautiful pieces, though? The hat is quite unique item as well, I had fun illustrating it. I really hope that I have managed to capture the breezy feel of this maxi denim dress. 

THE MINI RUFFLED SUIT LOOK

I repeated the same procedure with the second look I illustrated. First I drew the general outline, then the  I tried to define the ruffles and the cut of the garments. I proceeded to fill in this denim design with my watercolour pencils. As I wanted it to look like denim, I imitated the way denim is made. Denim is a sturdy fabric.  When illustrating denim, you should do crosswise and lengthwise moves/brush strokes. So, that is something I tried to do and not overdo. At the same time, I wanted to capture the cut and the structure of the garment. If I had been working in the larger format, I would have probably paid more attention to the details, such as the statement earrings, but working in this format, I only hinted at the accessories (such as the earrings). However, I did try to capture the details on the bag and shoes the best I could.  After all, I wanted to capture the details essential to this look. 

To be completely honest, I'm not very familiar with Elisabetta Franchi's brand, so I had to do some research to get to know this Italian brand better. I might even end up looking at their old collections. I'm pretty sure I have already seen some of Franchi's collections in the past, but I didn't create a mental note of it. However, it is never too late to find out more about fabulous fashion brands and creative individuals behind them. Speaking of that, Who is Elisabetta Franchi? Well, according to the *biography shared on her site, she's the soul of the brand. Plus, Franchi is one very determined business woman: " Her first encounter with fashion occurred in those days when to get by, she would take up the odd job like that of sales girl, which taught her to pay attention to what customers want and listen to their needs. That proved to be a critical lesson when laying the foundation for her successful fashion business. In 1995, the designer set up a small design studio, where she began to conceptualize her style and create the first pieces following her instinct and with the support of a small team of 5 (currently the company has about 300 employees) Three years later, in 1998, she funded Betty Blue S.p.a., which produced CELYN b, a line whose name evoked Parisian elegance with the letter “b” standing for “Betta”, the shortening of the designer’s name. In 2006, she purchased a disused pharmaceutical factory that in 2008, following two years of planning and restructuring, became the headquarters of the fashion house, covering an area of over 6,000 square meters of modern and functional beauty surrounded by the Bolognese countryside. In line with the principles of eco-sustainable architecture, the restoration works brought back the building to its former glory, thus feeding into Elisabetta Franchi’s love for architecture and design, a passion she always cultivated alongside fashion. In 2012, the designer made the decision to design under her own name setting up the eponymous ELISABETTA FRANCHI brand. In 2013, Milan was chosen as the location for the brand’s first showroom, housed inside a 950 square meters, 6-storey building in Via Tortona 9."

So, that is the designer behind this brand. What about this collection? I have already explained what I liked about it, but for those of you might be interested in reading more, here're a few more sentences. You know if I had more time, I would have illustrated a few more outfits from this collection. On overall, it really impressed me. For example, the brown look with the tulle skirt and V low cut blazer was absolutely stunning. There were some quite breath-taking gowns. One blue number stole my heart and there was a classical black dress design that I was enamored with. I'm normally a lover of bold colours, yet I loved the neutral tones of this collection. There's something to say about how the light neutral shades worked with warm earthly tones. At times, it felt like pure magic.   

Anyhow, I have also found this description on their site.  I think it sums up this collection pretty well so I'm sharing it here:  "Elisabetta Franchi Spring-Summer 2022 collection symbolises the rebirth of the woman who loves to travel, a dreamer with an enquiring mind, keen to go back exploring the world and visit new destinations with eyes full of wonder.The underlying concept is informed by the independent and intrepid attitude of our fearless protagonist who lays bare her soul and sets her imagination free inspired by constantly changing surroundings. Her feminine style echoes the vibrancy of prints and patterns reminiscent of a safari trip. Slinky dresses in natural, earthy hues combined with softer shades and animal prints are offered in light and fluid fabrics that bring the mind back to sun-drenched days in far-flung lands.Tortoiseshell effects, belts, multi-tasking bags and necklaces in various lengths ornate with charms - the collection’s storytelling is enriched by precious details and accessories that nod to our muse’s spirit of adventure and her longing to be marvelled by unique destinations. Set against the backdrop of a majestic and evocative location, the Elisabetta Franchi women march forward bold and feminine as per the brand’s DNA." *  https://www.elisabettafranchi.com/us/ss22-fashion-show

As always, thank you for reading and visiting. Have a lovely day everyone!