René Gruau – Great Fashion Illustrator. Story by Guillaumette Duplaix, Executive Editor of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: René Gruau Archives / Dior / L’Officiel / Madame Figaro / Flair / Harper’s Bazaar / Vogue.

René Gruau: The Illustrator

René Gruau, born Renato Zavagli-Ricciardelli delle Caminate in 1909 in Italy and passed away in 2004, was a Franco-Italian illustrator, poster artist, and painter renowned for his contributions to fashion and advertising.

Early Life and Background

Renato Zavagli was born to an Italian aristocrat father, Count Zavagli-Ricciardelli delle Caminate, and a French mother from Parisian aristocracy, Marie Gruau de la Chesnaie. Later in life, he adopted his mother’s maiden name, Gruau.

At the age of 15, in 1924, he began using his mother’s name and “Frenchified” his first name to René. He moved to Paris and, on the advice of an Italian fashion editor, published his first drawing as a fashion illustrator.

His illustrations gained recognition in Italy, particularly in the Milanese fashion magazine Lidel. At the time, magazines predominantly used illustrations rather than photographs.

Career Beginnings

By 1930, Gruau had created his first illustration for Balmain. Between 1935 and 1939, his reputation flourished, with his works appearing in notable publications such as Femina, Marianne, Marie Claire, Silhouettes, L’Officiel, and Le Figaro, as well as in magazines in the United States and England.

During World War II, Gruau lived in Lyon and later Cannes. The turning point of his career came in 1946 with his first collaboration with International Textiles, for which he would create all the covers until 1984.

Gruau and Dior

René Gruau’s story is closely intertwined with that of the legendary fashion house Dior and its founder, Christian Dior. The two met in 1930 at Le Figaro while both were young illustrators in their twenties.

Their long-standing collaboration and friendship began in 1947, when Christian Dior commissioned Gruau to design the advertisement for the first Dior fragrance, Miss Dior, as well as the iconic “Bar Jacket,” a symbol of Dior’s revolutionary New Look.

In the 1950s, Gruau was sought after by all major designers. He created the launch poster for Diorissimo and the Rouge Baiser lipstick campaign. Despite the growing dominance of photography in advertising, Dior remained loyal to Gruau, who continued illustrating for Dior fragrances for four decades.

Work in the United States and Beyond

In the late 1940s, Gruau moved to the United States, where he worked for Harper’s Bazaar and occasionally for Vogue. He also became the exclusive artist for the magazine Flair. Over his career, 167 luxury brands would use his illustrations.

Gruau specialized in fashion advertising but also created illustrations for theater, occasionally returning to fashion drawing. He collaborated with top couture houses such as Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Rochas, while continuing to contribute illustrations to magazines like Elle, Vogue, and Madame Figaro.

Legacy

From the 1950s until his death in Rome in 2004, René Gruau was celebrated as “the last surviving great fashion illustrator.” His work remains iconic, embodying the elegance and timelessness of 20th-century haute couture.

For more on his extraordinary career, visit: Gruau Collection