Joe Eula

Joe Eula (1925-2004) began his work with Eugenia Sheppard for The New York Herald Tribune at a time when illustrators were positioned near the runway to capture the dresses as models walked out. Before the rise of the fashion photographer, it was the illustrator whose pen captured the essence of garments in fashion shows and on catwalks. With a swift hand and sharp instinct, Joe Eula documented over half a century of fashion and high society life from the 1940s through the late 1990s. Mr. Eula conveyed the garment in motion, through a simple series of lines. Over the course of his sixty-year career, Eula worked closely with many designers including Valentino, Givenchy, Halston and Yves Saint Laurent. He sketched and photographed major European collections for various publications including French and Italian Harper's Bazaar and designed iconic advertisements for Tiffany, Josie Natori, and Geoffrey Beene. Describing Joe Eula, Geoffrey Beene said "His work is full of energy even when the figures are standing still. They aren't as simple as they look. They are urban people. They're like Joe, both restless and sophisticated."