Les Trois Robes Neuves

Georges Lepape (1887 - 1972)

French illustrator, poster artist, engraver, and designer whose work helped define the visual elegance of the Art Deco period. Born in Paris on June 26, 1887, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he developed the refined draftsmanship and decorative sensibility that later distinguished his illustrations. He rose to prominence in the early 1910s through his collaboration with the couturier Paul Poiret. In 1911 he illustrated Les Choses de Paul Poiret, a ground breaking portfolio that presented haute couture through richly colored pochoir prints and stylized compositions. The project transformed fashion illustration into a sophisticated modern art form and established Lepape as one of the leading visual innovators of his generation. He became one of the principal artists for La Gazette du Bon Ton, the influential Parisian fashion magazine that brought together elite illustrators and designers before World War I. Alongside artists such as George Barbier and Paul Iribe, Lepape developed a style characterized by graceful silhouettes, decorative geometry, theatrical staging, and exotic influences drawn from Japonisme and the Ballets Russes. From 1916 onward, Lepape created numerous covers and illustrations for Vogue and also contributed to Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, and other major publications. His magazine covers captured the glamour and sophistication of modern urban life during the 1920s and 1930s. Elegant women, luxurious interiors, gardens, and fashionable leisure scenes became recurring subjects in his work. In 1926, publisher Condé Nast invited Lepape to the United States to work with American fashion magazines, expanding his international reputation. Although fashion illustration changed significantly after World War II, Lepape continued working in illustration and advertising while remaining admired for his distinctive decorative style. Georges Lepape died on February 15, 1971, in Bonneval, France. T

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