Post War Fashion Ilustration and the Artists of Today
Connie Gray
Monday 08 June 2026
As the world emerged from WWII and French couturier Christian Dior introduced his revolutionary ‘New Look’ in 1947, fashion illustration was to play a pivotal role in the success of fashion houses which had struggled to survive the war years in Europe , while new designers who were about to step onto the international stage.
With a background in fashion and broadcasting, Connie Gray is a leading art specialist on 20th-century fashion illustration, with a special interest in the history of French haute couture. As a curator, writer, presenter and lecturer, she advises internationally on museum exhibitions and writes on the evolution of fashion illustration, haute couture’s influence on visual culture, and the legacies of key illustrators. She collaborates with institutions on acquisitions, conservation, and exhibitions, including Pioneers of Fashion (Lee Miller Archives), Crown to Couture (Kensington Palace, London), and 100 Years of Fashion Illustration (Society of Illustrators, New York).
Doors and the bar at Thornden Hall Arts Centre open from 18.45; talks start at 19.30 and last an hour with additional time for questions. Free for members: visitors please pay £8 on the day at the signing in desk: card only.
For more information about the Arts Society Southampton and to enquire about annual membership please visit www.theartssocietysouthampton.org.uk or email info@the artssocietysouthampton.org.uk
Image: Sporting Around Illustrated by Robert Melendez (1944 - ) for WWD 1969 © R Melendez Archive
This lecture wil be preceded by the AGM .
