For those of you that mourned the loss of the print version of Amelia’s Magazine (alas, gone are the days of those inspired colour-in, scratch ‘n’ sniff and Swarovski crystal covers) you can rejoice as her illustration-centric fashion content returns to paper form with her newest book. Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration unites the work of thirty emerging illustrators and profiles fifty ethical fashion designers.

These days fashion and illustration are publishing bedfellows – from the equally lovely Sketchbook magazine to Pourquois Pas? - but Amelia’s was a real pioneer of the homespun marriage of the arts with craft practices. Despite the smidgen of inevitable bias given that Mrs TRR is an Amelia’s Mag writer, ACOFI is indeed a glorious tome featuring, first and foremost, ethical designers that mercifully forego substituting style for happy-clappy sentiments; Ada Zandition, Prophetik, Romina Karamanea and Edun are all wonderfully profiled. The up-and-coming illustrators were cleverly selected via the setting of an open brief – testament to the democratic, supportive, leg-up nature of Amelia’s, with the nurturing of new talent being as fundamental as the content.

From the pearlised cover designed by Arizona based artist, Andrea Peterson to the ethical production practices, ACOFI is a book with a conscience and heart as much as beautifully realised artwork.

Amelia’s Compendium Of Fashion Illustration is available at the Tate, Design Museum and Magma

Posted on January 26, 2011 at 5:45:51 by The Real Runway