Sonya Todd Exhibition: 1960s Fashion Illustrations

The Minories Art gallery is a hidden gem of our town. I say hidden, it's well known and is growing in popularity and exposure, but it has the feel of a secret gallery.  Today we visited for the opening of the Sonya Todd Exhibition, I highly recommend it if you enjoy 1960s fashion; even if you don't, the illustrations are beautiful and enjoyable in their own right.  The exhibition presents 'a range of original ink and watercolour drawings, along with period advertisements and a selections of Sonya's sketchbooks, articles, influences and associated material' (taken from the exhibition information sheet).

Sonya worked as a fashion illustrator during the 1960s, producing work for the likes of C&A and Bentalls, as well as producing illustrations of Joanna Lumley during her role in the New Avengers and working for the illustrious Biba.

I adore how some of the images are still reminiscent of the designs of the previous decade with the femininity of fashion and shape; then you move forward to more colourful more innovative images which I always associate with the 1960s, working during the Pop Art period its easy see how Sonya was influenced by it.

Fashion illustrations are some of my favourite things to look at- partially because they remind me of the front of vintage sewing patterns (one of my vintage addictions) and also because fashion illustrations portray the image of what the clothes should look like, conveying more of the feel of the clothes than a photograph of a model wearing them can.

If you are in Colchester or plan on visiting the area, I would highly recommend this exhibition to anyone; with the gorgeous imagery in such a beautiful building, you simply can't go wrong.  It has certainly inspired me and I feel a 1960s weekend coming on at Lesley's Girls HQ....

Sonya Todd- Illustrating Fashion runs from today (13th October) to Saturday 17th November 2012 at The Minories Art Gallery, 74 High Street, Colchester, CO1 1UE

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