Drawing Fashion at the Design Museum London (VIDEO)

Standing amongst works of Chanel, Dior, Comme des Garçons and McQueen is Joelle Chariau, enthusiast-turned-expert and curator of Galerie Bartsch & Chariau's current exhibition: Drawing Fashions, covered by Crane.tv. The show gives us a unique insight into a an unknown, neglected field within the arts and is Chariau's own personal selection of her favourite pieces from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.

Illustration has always played a huge part within the marketing approach the fashion industry takes in the promotion of its product - but more so in the past, when fashion houses used the art to showcase their latest collections and how they should have been worn. Despite a decline of fashion drawings due to developments in technology, the traditional technique has gradually shifted to becoming an important part of a fashion house's brand history and representation. Changes in cultural perceptions towards fashion illustration is evident and we witness styles metamorphose with the onset of photography. Some claim that the creativity and unique portrayal of the art of fashion is lost in the photos and the need for illustration is apparent with the loss of that factor.

Fashion illustrator Mats Gustafson speaks of his own experiences with the art. How in his youth he was overly receptive to change, but has since developed a liking towards seeing and creating pieces that have a timeless quality. For Gustafson, his work has always been about the shapes he draws attention to and working with designers such as Yohji Yamamoto has enabled him to complement his own style with theirs. "You have to somehow fall in love with whatever you work with, to find the most interesting perspective or the beauty in whatever you do. When it really clicks between you and the designers, then of course it is more dynamic and more exciting."

Text by Carmen Ho for Crane.tv