Illustrating Milan A/W 24 Menswear With Elin Torr

Before fashion film, there was fashion photography; before fashion photography, there was fashion illustration. Dazzling the pages of many of fashion's most revered publications, wondrous illustrations adorned the covers (and continued to decorate the inside pages) of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Flair, Tatler and many more throughout the first half of the 20th century, proving quite an asset to the quintessential style bible. Having always believed in the power of illustration, primarily when used to communicate a mood or palpable presence, SHOWstudio have long been inviting fashion's most talented illustrators, on and under the radar, to offer their unique talent in interpreting the latest season's collections.

Artist Elin Torr is equipped with an illustrative style that will never go out of fashion. Her strikingly bold mark-making makes for magnificent fashion illustration that sprinkles magical charm over all the collections that catch her eye. However, instead of getting sidetracked by colour, Torr keeps it rather simple, honing in on the texture of clothes instead of the usual artist tractions to communicate her desire for storytelling in fashion. 'When looking at a designer's collection, I seek out the romantic aspects', she told SHOWstudio. The romance that caught her eye this season? 'I really enjoyed reading S.S Daley’s press release', she admitted. 'The collection itself was mesmerising but reading the press release felt like it all came together, hearing about the inspirations and the story behind the collection.' When it comes to her own illustrative interpretations, Torr delights in adding her own twist to a designer's universe. 'It’s wonderful to be able to peep through a little window into the designer's vision. It also allows me to imagine a story for the characters I’m illustrating and create a sort of "other world" for them off the runway.'

As for what makes for a good fashion illustration, Torr is much more abstract in her answer. 'I don’t know if you can be a "bad" fashion illustrator' she says before adding, 'or even a bad artist', admitting her own beliefs lie with that of Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, repeating the Irish novelist's famous phrase 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.

Disclosing what she personally looks for in a fashion illustration, Torr reveals:

'For me, I think a good fashion illustrator is someone who can weave their own personality into their work, and show us what they find interesting. Not just someone who copies a photograph but creates a new image based on the designer's vision.'

Other shows Torr took to reimagining this Milan menswear season included Gucci, JORDANLUCA and JW Anderson. 'I love fashion and I love talking about fashion', Torr says matter of factly. 'Illustration is a second language to me and is the only thing I have an intense urge and desire to do. I love communicating my visual language and observations onto paper, as it's a great way for me to communicate what I love and find interesting about a collection.' But what are Torr's thoughts on the future of fashion illustration as a medium? 'I hope more illustrative covers and art in magazines come back as it goes hand in hand with fashion. Plus, hand-drawn images are usually the first step when making a collection, so there is a direct correlation there, too'.

Part of the charm of Torr's work is her carefree aesthetic - her illustrations are undoubtedly all the more enthralling for it. Whether choosing to illustrate fashion wielding a pencil or oil pastels, her talent is palpable and her illustrative world is certainly one not to miss.