David Downton: Portraits of the World's Most Stylish Women by David Downton (Laurence King Publishers, 192 pages) $88
With incredible efficiency and restraint, David Downton's portraits come to life.
His subjects appear mostly on their own against the white paper that holds their image. There is no need for backgrounds because to look at one of his illustrations is to be captured by the model. Eyes that hold you like a magic spell communicate a spectrum of emotions.
For nearly two decades David Downton has been the premiere fashion illustrator in an industry that constantly seeks change. His work has appeared in all the top magazines, in galleries, and hangs in the most exclusive homes.
For this collection Downton has selected drawings of some of the world's most stylish women. While his work is not limited to just women, it was his choice to narrow the focus in order to make the book stronger.
The women included are from a rarefied circle of beauty: Iman, Catherine Deneuve, Linda Evangelista, Erin O'Connor, Dita Von Teese, to name just a few, fill the pages. For many of his subjects Downton includes multiple drawings and a description that tells details of the sitting and his thoughts on his model.
