Fashion illustration

Pierre Simon, born in Paris in 1907, is a French illustrator, painter and designer, art collector, passionate about photography and cinema.

His attraction to fashion drawings, particularly of women, came at an early age from his grandmother and aunts, who gave him style and fashion magazines.

After graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière.

Born in 1907, he started his career in 1927, with his first drawing in Harpers Bazaar magazine.

Mostly illustrating for advertisements, he worked with Jeanne Lanvin, Cristobal de Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Jeanne Grés, Jean Patou, Jacques Fath and many others but also for jewelry brands as Boucheron Jewelry, Omega or Vand Cleef and Arpels. His work has been highlighted by the Vogue magazine but also by New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, l’Officiel, Adam, Figaro Magazine, Votre enfant.

Pierre Simon's works feature faces and hands that are always elegants and delicates. His style was typical of fashion illustrators of the time.

In 1951, he presented Dior's spring 1951 collection in an advertising film directed by his friend Robert Petiot.

His work was also featured in magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazar, Figaro Mode, New York Times, Elle or Adam from the 1930s to the 1970s. Around 1970, photography replaced fashion drawing in the press, and Pierre Simon continued to work with major fashion houses, but his drawings were no longer published in fashion magazines.

Throughout his career he continuing to refine his own style. Perfecting the use of limited lines and colour, in just a few brush strokes he could create confident and engaging men and women that would effortlessly capture the viewers gaze. He often used black china ink with a touch of red (his favorite colour) to make vibrate his colours.

Others subjects drawns

At the age of 18, he did his military service in the Navy, which led to him being called up as a photo reporter on the cruiser Foch in Toulon during the Second World War. Many photographs, letters and drawings of sailors survive from this period.

As well as fashion and sailors, he covered a wide range of other subjects, including Parisian views, caricatures/portraits, French and English scenes and so on.

In the 1950s, he painted a portrait of General de Gaulle at his request.

Privacy

Pierre Simon is the son of César Simon, a pharmacist, and Émilie Clerc. He grew up in Paris.

In 1942, he met his wife, Marie-Madeleine Lacourège, known as ‘Marylène’ (1919-1999), who instantly became his muse. She holds a very special place in Pierre Simon's work and is depicted in many of his drawings.

Their union gave birth to Bertille, their daughter, in 1954.

End of his life

Pierre Simon never stopped drawing.

He died on 30 January 1999 in his Paris flat, three weeks after the death of his wife, Marylène Simon.

Exhibitions

During his life, he did several exhibitions as for example :

The Sailors, in 1941, at the Pierre Loeb gallery, 14 rue de Seine in Paris (from 19-12-1940 to 20-01-1941)

Parisian scenes and faces in 1943 at the Charpentier galery (today Sotheby’s)

One of his illustration was exhibited in 1994 at Galliera’s museum for Jacques Fath exhibition, 1950s

After his death, his Art will continue to be unlighted

In March 2014 and 2015, the former archives of the Maison Guillaume (hairdressers) sold drawings by Pierre Simon to the ADER auction house. The sale will take place at Drouot.

Van Cleef & Arpels, When Elegance Meets Art exhibition, which ran from 21 April to 05 August 2018 at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, featured a drawing by Pierre Simon depicting Place Vendôme in a video.

In March 2022, the Glénat publishing house chose a 1949 illustrations by Pierre Simon for the cover of Fait main, a book on the history of glove-making in Grenoble, produced for Perrin Gloves. This illustration was also used for the exhibition Fait main, quand Grenoble gantait le monde, which ran from 24 March to 19 June 2023 at the Musée Dauphinois in Grenoble.

Currently at the Palais Galliera as part of La Mode en mouvement #3’s exhibition until octobre 12th, 2025

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