A handsome collection showcasing the work of one of the fashion world’s foremost illustrators and art directors. François Berthoud is recognized as one of the most original illustrators working today whose meticulous linocuts and paintings, stripped to the essentials of his subject, have been employed by some of fashion’s most sought-after brands including Viktor & Rolf, Bulgari, Givenchy, and Prada and have graced the pages of Vogue, Numéro, Visionaire, Interview, and other leading magazines. Showcasing more than thirty years of work, this collection includes an illuminating conversation with the artist, making it unique in the study of Berthoud as a cultural and artistic icon.
Emerging in the ’80s, Berthoud’s distinct style was championed by the legendary Anna Piaggi, who said that while he “illustrates fashion in an apparently formal and decorative way, in reality he analyzes his subject in depth and with an elegant sense of detachment…. He experiences fashion with a sharp sense of irony and a visual culture rooted in conceptual art.”
Berthoud’s rare gift is the ability to imbue radically simple images with a potent erotic charge, and this luxurious boxed volume celebrates 30 years of his artwork culminating with an illuminating conversation with Christian Kämmerling. A unique study of Berthoud as a cultural and artistic icon, this example of refined book art will be coveted by anyone with an appreciation of fashion and the language of sensuality.
About the Author/Illustrator and Contributors: After studying at Lausanne’s School for Graphic Design, illustrator François Berthoud began his career in Milan with Condé Nast and is recognized as one of the most original illustrators working today. Among his many accomplishments, Berthoud also illustrated The Boudoir Bible by Betony Vernon, published in 2013 by Rizzoli. Beda Achermann, longtime creative director of German Men’s Vogue, founded Studio Achermann in Zürich and is now among the world’s most sought-after creative directors specializing in fashion and art. Chris Dercon is a Belgian art historian, curator, and former director of Tate Modern. In 2020, he was appointed to Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Authority. Daniele Barbieri is an Italian semiologist and essayist. He has written on comics, visual communication and poetry. Christian Kämmerling is writer and one of Europe’s leading magazine makers.
