René Chic continues our celebration of stylish fashion illustration featuring the work of French illustrator René Gruau, with other English fashion illustrators of the 1940s and ‘50s.

According to René Gruau (who worked for some of the greatest names in Haute Couture such as Vogue, Givenchy and Rochas), ‘Elegance is fluid and therefore by definition difficult to define, but it is made of desire and knowledge, of grace refinement, perfection and distinction’. With admirably economical means and perfect purity of line he expresses every nuance of luxury and refinement.