Francois Berthoud is known for his painstakingly produced and meticulously arranged linocuts and his expressive drip paintings and elegant computer graphics have graced the face of countless magazines and advertising campaigns for the world s most discerning and sought-after fashion brands including Yves-St-Laurent, Bulgari, Chanel, Givenchy, Sonia Rykiel, and Prada. His work presents the conceptual aspect of fashion, maintaining a strict line between the edge of eroticism which he claims to be all important. Emerging as a leading fashion illustrator and art director in the 80s, Berthoud s distinct style was championed by the legendary Anna Piaggi early on in her avant-garde publication Vanity that was published by Conde Nast. She hailed him by saying that while Francois illustrates fashion in an apparently formal and decorative way, in reality he analyses his subject in depth and with an elegant sense of detachment before recreating it in his atelier-laboratory . He experiences fashion with a sharp sense of irony and a visual culture rooted in conceptual art. But his style is totally now! Berthoud has a reputation for romantic fashion illustration and for erotica (he was the illustrator for Betony Vernon s The Boudoir Bible) and where the two often overlap. Featuring essays by Chris Dercon and Daniele Barbieri, the book concludes with a conversation with Franc?ois Berthoud transcribed by Christian Ka?mmerling.

About the Author
Francois Berthoud was born in Le Locle, Switzerland. After finishing his studies at the School for Graphic Design in Lausanne in 1982, he went to Milan where he drew cartoons for Alter-Alter and Linus comic strips. He caught the eye of the legendary Anna Piaggi who commissioned his early fashion illustrations for her avant-garde Conde Nast magazine Vanity, and since then his work has appeared in many of the leading fashion magazines including Vogue, Numero, Visionaire, and Interview to name just a few. Recognized as one of the most original illustrators of his time, he is known for high-impact images that bring art and fashion together. During the 80s, he became one of the most influential art directors in the fashion world working with the biggest names and brands in the industry like Yves-St-Laurent, Bulgari, Chanel, Givenchy, Sonia Rykiel, or Prada. After having lived in Milan, Paris, and New York, he is now based in Zurich in his native Switzerland. Chris Dercon is a Belgian art historian and curator. He is former director of Haus der Kunst in Munich and Tate Modern in London. In 2017 he became the intendant of the Volksbuhne Berlin but resigned in April 2018. In July 2020, he was appointed to the Visual Arts Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Daniele Barbieri, graduated with a degree in philosophy after studying with Umberto Eco with whom he then obtained a PhD in Semiotics. He is a researcher and professor in the field of semiotics, with a particular attention to comics, graphic design and visual communication in general. He is a regular university lecturer in Italy and the author of numerous books and essays. Christian Kammerling is considered one of the leading magazine makers in Germany. He was the head of the SZ-Magazin for over 10 years, after which he engineered the comeback of the legendary FAZ-Magazin. Since 2005 he has been the owner of a creativity agency.


Book Information
ISBN 9780847870899
Author Francois Berthoud
Format Hardback
Page Count 408
Imprint Rizzoli International Publications
Publisher Rizzoli International Publications