Antonio Lopez (February 11, 1943 – March 17, 1987) was a

fashion illustrator Fashion Illustration is the art of communicating fashion ideas in a visual form that originates with illustration, drawing and painting and also known as Fashion sketching. It is mainly used by fashion designers to brainstorm their ideas on pape ...

whose work appeared in such publications as ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'', ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...

'', ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'', ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

'' and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. 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."

Biography

Antonio Lopez was born in Utuado,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. When he was seven years old, his family moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. His parents, Maria Luisa Cruz and Francisco Lopez influenced him to apply his artistic talents to fashion. He attended the

Traphagen School of Fashion Traphagen School of Fashion was an art and design school in operation from 1923 to 1991, and was located at 1680 Broadway in New York City. The school was founded and directed by Ethel Traphagen Leigh (1883–1963) with a focus on the foundational ...

, the

High School of Art and Design The High School of Art and Design is a career and technical education high school in Manhattan, New York City, New York State, United States. Founded in 1936 as the School of Industrial Art, the school moved to 1075 Second Avenue in 1960 and mor ...

, and the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It ...

(FIT). Lopez graduated from Traphagen School of Fashion in 1955 in Illustration. While attending F.I.T. as a student in 1962, he began an internship at ''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides inf ...

'' which led to him leaving school and working at the publication. Shortly afterward he left for a freelance position at the New York Times. He also did illustrations of fashion designs by

Charles James Charles James may refer to: * Charles James (British Army officer) (1757/8–1821), English army officer and writer * Charles James (attorney) (born 1954), former U.S. assistant attorney general * Charles James (American football) (born 1990), Amer ...

. Lopez worked in close collaboration with Juan Eugene Ramos, and for a few years they were romantic partners. In 1969 he moved to Paris along with Ramos and was an associate of

Karl Lagerfeld Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer. He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 ...

; he stayed there until the mid-1970s. Lopez was known for discovering talented young models who would become his muses, often referred to as “Antonio’s Girls”.''Donna Jordan,'' ongoing exhibit. The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. Lopez discovered

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. She is the 13th actress to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having won two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, along with a Screen Actors G ...

in 1974. He discovered

Jerry Hall Jerry Faye Hall (born July 2, 1956) is an American model and actress. She began modelling in the 1970s and became one of the most sought after models in the world. She transitioned into acting, appearing in the 1989 film '' Batman''. Hall was t ...

and lived with her in Paris at the beginning of her modeling career. He “discovered”

Warhol superstars Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life, epitomizing his fam ...

Donna Jordan Donna Jordan (born 1950) is an American actress and model. She is most well-known as a Warhol superstar and for being one of “Antonio’s Girls”, models and muses of fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez.''Donna Jordan.'' Ongoing exhibit. Andy W ...

and

Jane Forth Jane Forth (born 1953) is an American actress and model, best known for having been one of the Warhol superstars, starring in films such as ''Trash'', and being one of “Antonio’s Girls”, models and muses of fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez ...

, providing an important stepping stone for their budding careers. Lopez and Ramos also discovered

Pat Cleveland Patricia Cleveland (born June 23, 1950)The History Makers
August 14, 2014. Retrieved March ...

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

, and

Tina Chow Tina Chow (born Bettina Louise Lutz, April 18, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American model and jewelry designer who was considered an influential fashion icon of the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second wife of restaurateur Michael Chow ...

. In additions to books of his fashion illustration, the book ''Antonio's Tales From the Thousand and One Nights'' was published in 1985. The book was the inspiration for Marc Jacobs' 2007 "Arabian Nights" event. 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), was published by Rizzoli in September 2012. Lopez explored themes of queer desire and race in his art through cultural references to subjects, such as

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

and ''

The Wild One ''The Wild One'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. The picture is most noted for the character of Johnny Strabler, portrayed by Marlon Brando, whose persona became a cultural icon of the 1 ...

''.

Personal life

His circle of friends also included photographer

Bill Cunningham Bill Cunningham may refer to: People *Bill Cunningham (rugby union) (1874–1927), New Zealand rugby union player * Bill Cunningham (footballer), Irish international footballer active in the 1890s *Bill Cunningham (infielder) (1886–1946), profe ...

; circa 1966 Antonio introduced him to photographer David Montgomery, who gave Cunningham his first camera. Lopez died of

Kaposi's Sarcoma Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a type of cancer that can form masses in the skin, in lymph nodes, in the mouth, or in other organs. The skin lesions are usually painless, purple and may be flat or raised. Lesions can occur singly, multiply in a limit ...

as a complication of

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as ''UCLA Medical Center'', "RRMC" or "Ronald Reagan") is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United ...

; he was living in New York but was in Los Angeles for an exhibition of his art at Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica; he was attended by his friend and model Susan Baraz. His collaborator Juan Eugene Ramos survived until 1995, when he also died of AIDS.

Influence and legacy

Painter Paul Caranicas is president of the Antonio Lopez Foundation. The organization Focus on AIDS, which raises funds for AIDS research, care and education through photography auctions was founded in 1987 by Baraz and Vue magazine publisher Hossein Farmani in response to Lopez' death. Lopez' art and photography were exhibited at Staley-Wise Gallery in New York in March–April 2000. Designer Hannah MacGibbon cited Lopez as an inspiration for her Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection for

Chloé Chloé () is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion. During the next year of 1953 Aghion joined forces with Jacques Lenoir, formally managing the business side of the brand, allowing Aghion to purely pursue the creativ ...

. Lopez' work was included in April 2009 exhibit "The Line of Fashion", curated by Robert Richards at the

Society of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. History Founding The Society of Illustrators was founded on ...

in association with the

Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art (LLM), formerly the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, is a visual art museum in SoHo, Lower Manhattan, New York City. It mainly collects, preserves and exhibits visual arts created by LGBTQ artists or art ...

. ''Antonio's Tales from the Thousand & One Nights'' was an inspiration to fashion designer Suneet Varma's 2010 collection "The Pirates of Couture." His work is also included in the exhibit "Drawing Fashion" at the Design Museum in

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, running November 17, 2010- March 6, 2011. Lopez was a major source of inspiration for fashion designer

Anna Sui Anna Sui (; born August 4, 1964) is an American fashion designer. She was named one of the "Top 5 Fashion Icons of the Decade", and in 2009 earned the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America ( ...

's Spring 2012 fashion collection. Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City request his name at the library more than any other. In 2013, MAC Cosmetics launched a campaign dedicated to Lopez. The ads for the campaign featured models Jerry Hall,

Pat Cleveland Patricia Cleveland (born June 23, 1950)The History Makers
August 14, 2014. Retrieved March ...

and

Marisa Berenson Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947) is an American actress and model. She appeared on the front covers of ''Vogue'' and ''Time'', and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as ...

, who were all close friends with Lopez and were often called "Antonio's girls" early in their modeling careers. In June 2016, the exhibit ''Antonio Lopez: Future Funk Fashion'' opened at

El Museo del Barrio El Museo del Barrio, often known simply as El Museo (the museum), is a museum at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is located near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, immediately north of the Museum of the Cit ...

in New York City.

Books

* Lopez, Antonio; Hemphill, Christopher; Ramos, Juan; Amiel, Karen. ''Antonio's Girls'' (Thames and Hudson, 1982) * Burton , Richard; Lopez, Antonio; Finamore, Roy. ''Antonio's Tales from the Thousand & One Nights'' (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1985) * Lopez, Antonio; Ramos, Juan Eugene. ''Antonio, 60, 70, 80: three decades in style'' (Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1995) * Caranicas, Paul; Lopez, Antonio. ''Antonio's people'' (Thames & Hudson, 2004) * Lopez, Antonio. ''Instamatics'' (Santa Fe: Twin Palms Publishers, 2011) Includes an interview of Antonio Lopez with Michael McKenzie, June 28, 1976 * Padilha, Roger; Padilha, Mauricio. ''Antonio Lopez: Fashion, Art, Sex, and Disco'' (Rizzoli, 2012)

Films

* Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco – written, produced and directed by

James Crump James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

. This feature documentary film shows Lopez and Ramos in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Paris and New York, and their colorful and sometimes outrageous milieu. ''Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco'' film features

Patti D'Arbanville Patricia D'Arbanville is an American actress known for her appearance in Andy Warhol projects. Career After ''Flesh'', D'Arbanville performed in Warhol's '' L'Amour'' (1973), and as the title character in the David Hamilton film '' Bilitis'' ...

, Yves Saint Laurent, Joan Juliet Buck,

Michael Chow (restaurateur) Michael Chow (; born 7 March 1939) is a British Chinese restaurateur, interior designer, artist and former actor. Chow, also known as M, is the co-founder and owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain. He has appeared in numerous films, held solo ar ...

Grace Coddington Pamela Rosalind Grace Coddington (born 20 April 1941) is a Welsh former model and former creative director at large of American ''Vogue'' magazine. Coddington is known for the creation of large, complex and dramatic photoshoots. A '' Guardian'' ...

Bill Cunningham (American photographer) William John Cunningham Jr. (March 13, 1929June 25, 2016) was an American fashion photographer for ''The New York Times'', known for his candid and street photography. A Harvard University dropout, he first became known as a designer of women's ...

Pat Cleveland Patricia Cleveland (born June 23, 1950)The History Makers
August 14, 2014. Retrieved March ...

Bob Colacello Bob Colacello (born 1947) is an American writer. Born in Bensonhurst, New York, and raised in Plainview, Long Island, he graduated from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1969, and also has an MFA degree in f ...

, Corey Tippin, Paul Caranicas and

among others.

References

https://www.todocoleccion.net/arte-dibujos/antonio-lopez-fashion-ilustrador-para-revista-vogue-paris-modelo-kenzo~x62327480

External links

Antonio Lopez : Fashion Illustrations at Chicago History Museum Digital Collections

*[https://sparcdigital.fitnyc.edu/items/browse?tags=Lopez%2C+Antonio%2C+1943-1987 FIT SPARC Digital: Collection of Antonio Lopez Illustrations from the Fashion Institute of Technology Special Collections and College Archives] * https://www.todocoleccion.net/arte-dibujos/antonio-lopez-fashion-ilustrador-para-revista-vogue-paris-modelo-kenzo~x62327480 * https://www.todocoleccion.net/arte-dibujos/antonio-lopez-fashion-ilustrador-para-revista-vogue-paris-modelo-kenzo~x62327480 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Antonio 1943 births 1987 deaths People from Utuado, Puerto Rico AIDS-related deaths in California American illustrators Fashion Institute of Technology alumni Fashion illustrators Gay artists LGBT people from Puerto Rico High School of Art and Design alumni Traphagen School of Fashion alumni 20th-century LGBT people