The Picasso of Fashion Illustration: Antonio Lopez

Antonio Lopez (February 11, 1943 – March 17, 1987) was a fashion illustrator whose work appeared in publications such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Interview and The New York Times. Several books collecting his illustrations have been published. In his obituary, the New York Times called him a "major fashion illustrator." He generally signed his works as "Antonio."

A book on the career of Antonio Lopez, "Antonio Lopez: Fashion, Art, Sex, & Disco", by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha (with a foreword by Andre Leon Talley and an epilogue by Anna Sui), will be released by Rizzoli on September 4th 2012.

Antonio Lopez was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico in 1943. His family moved to Spanish Harlem in 1950 where he showed early promise as an artist making drawings for his mother who was a seamstress and dressmaker.

In the early 1960s he enrolled on a course at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York where he met Juan Ramos who became his life long partner, and collaborator. While a student at FIT he participated in a work-study program at Womens Wear Daily where his talent was immediately recognized. He was offered a job at WWD and dropped out of FIT before joining The New York Times in 1963 where his style continued to develop. He was soon freelancing for Harper's Bazaar, British Vogue and French Elle.

In the '60s, Lopez's vibrant illustrations helped usher youth culture into the pages of magazines, setting a new, free-flowing, sexually liberated standard for fashion imagery. Living in Paris during the 70s with his creative partner Juan Ramos, Lopez launched the modeling careers of Jerry Hall, Grace Jones, and Jessica Lange, among others, and worked with design royalty like Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Returning to New York City in 1976, Antonio documented the sexy influence of athletic-wear, puffy, down coats, and break-dancing style, inspiring such designers as Norma Kamali and Anna Sui.

Karl Lagerfeld on Antonio: "In the world of illustration, his contribution is superior to the efforts of all other fashion artists of his era."

Lopez produced an incredible number of drawings, illustrations, paintings, photographs, and fantastic mixed-media journals. The book "Antonio Lopez: Fashion, Art, Sex, and Disco" showcases his most iconic works, as well as never-before-seen photos, behind-the-scenes Polaroids, letters, and ephemera which, together, provide an understanding of the career trajectory of an extraordinarily talented artist.

From September 6th until December 1st 2012 at the Brooklyn Public Library his work will be displayed as part of the exhibition: Fashion Illustration A Contemporary Look.