Georges Lepape

Georges Lepape (1887 – 1971) was a renowned French artist known for his contributions to the world of fashion illustration. His work, which spanned various media including book covers, playbills, magazines, advertisements, and textiles, was characterised by orientalist motifs, fluid lines, bold colouration, and graphic stylisations. These elements were evocative of the Art Nouveau movement, and he was a primary contributor to the influential fashion and luxury publication, La Gazette du Bon Ton. Lepape’s intricate style was particularly suited to this publication, where he introduced the ideas of “motion” and “story” to fashion illustration. His illustrations were stencilled by hand with watercolour, in a technique known as pochoir.