by This year’s Fida Awards ceremony took place at the Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design in London last Tuesday, only its second live awards show in the organisation’s four-year history due to pandemic disruption . Presented simultaneously via Zoom to all international members who could not attend, the event was introduced by co-founder Patrick Morgan who began by reflecting on the successes of the past year. These included Fida artist collaborations with Halston, the National Arts Club and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Italian luxury accessories company Rodo, jeweler Elsa Peretti, Fashion Scout and London Fashion Week. , as well as the recent launch of a virtual fashion art marketplace.
Among the jurors this year was Connie Gray, founder of Gray MCA, the leading international art gallery in the specialist field of original fashion illustration focused on 20th century masters who this year presented both Captions only featuring the work of David Downton, artist-in-residence at Claridge’s Hotel, and The art of elegance, an exhibition of illustrations by Dior Artist in Residence Bil Donovan. Says Gray, “Fida provides an inspiring platform that unites and celebrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary fashion illustration. Through attitude, texture, subtlety and line, today’s fashion illustration is more versatile and exciting than ever.
The goal of these awards is to elevate the field of fashion illustration and highlight the major role its illustrators play in the creative arts industry. Other members of the jury included Betty Morgan, director of the Kenneth Paul Block Foundation; artist Howard Tanguy; Courtauld Gallery fashion historian Rebecca Arnold; contemporary illustrators Piet Paris; and Jessica Bird; and CFDA member designer Jeffrey Banks, who echoed Gray’s commitment to the art of fashion. “I have always believed in the art form known as illustration. Despite the world being so committed to technology, for my money, nothing beats the artistry, elegance and beauty of illustration,” he said. “We are on the verge of a new and exciting renaissance in interest in illustration. From the historic legacy of illustration giants like Alphonse Mucha, Toulouse-Lautrec, Aubrey Beardsley and Maxfield Parrish, to JC Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, NC Wyeth, Kenneth Paul Block and Antonio Lopez, Fida is leading the way in the next generation of great illustrations.”
The evening was transformed into happy meetings, professional meetings and sipping champagne. But first for the purpose of central London’s glamorous gathering, and that premier category, the ever-popular Portrait award. Morgan described portraiture as “a space that fashion illustrators have mastered and are truly leaders in.” The award-winning work which he described as a somewhat controversial choice according to the judges’ feedback before presenting it to Hana Tischler for her charcoal portrait: “It was not typically fashion but danced between art and culture,” Morgan said, adding that “she had the command of a National geographic cover.”
The Beauty award also strayed into experimental territory won by Belen Rodriguez for her dreamy and provocative pink watercolor portrait. Caroline Riches was on hand to receive her Still Life award and explained how, as a fashion educator at the University of Leeds, she celebrated her 20th anniversary of teaching by painting a ghostly rendering of a canvas by the designer Rei Kawakubo which she deliberately left unfinished. The multidisciplinary prize went to French illustrator Ludivine Joséphine, whose charming animation was a tribute to femininity and the art of dressing up.
The student prizes were awarded to Parsons School of Design student Leo Qian, SCAD’s Jiyoung Park and Cailyn Kurdys for her multidisciplinary textile work combining quilting, beading and patchwork.
In the end, the controversy emerged victorious as Hana Tischler’s poignant portrayal also won her the overall winner’s prize of 10,000 pounds. Says Morgan, “The jury wanted mould-breakers, not artists who fit into the establishment.”
