Today we will tell you about Svetlana Gevorkyan's beautiful collection of dolls "VOGUE VINTAGE"

"Svetlana took on the difficult task of 'bringing to life' the iconic VOGUE magazine covers drawn by George Plank. And she succeeded magnificently!" – Testimonial by fashion historian Tatiana Nagorskikh.

VOGUE magazine is one of the most authoritative publications in the world of fashion. Founded in 1891 by Arthur Turnure, the publication was aimed at wealthy New Yorkers. At the beginning of its history, the weekly consisted of 16 pages and was highly decorated. The magazine covered society, fashion, and style.

At the beginning of the 20th century.

At the beginning of the 20th century the art of photography had not yet reached its heights. The masterpieces of Parisian couturiers were preserved by fashion illustrators-artists. They gave the painted image expressiveness and charm.

Georges Lepage, Helen Dryden, George Wolf Plank, Georges Barbier and Hertje have all appeared in the pages of VOGUE.

Over time, the illustrations on magazine covers were superseded by photography. Many styles have changed, but to this day the exquisite drawings of that era are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for creative people.

The author is talking about the VOGUE VINTAGE collection:

The collection was inspired by the illustrations of the magnificent George Wolfe Plank. This famous American artist (George Wolfe Plank, 1883-1965), was well known for his work with Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines. He succeeded in conveying opulent and numerous clothing details in concise subjects. Plank was described by his contemporaries as having an enchanting, whimsical and unbelievable eye for fashion.

"VOGUE VINTAGE July 1914", Size 50*40, papier-mâché, LaDoll, silk, velvet, vintage plush, hand embroidery.

After choosing from the many splendid illustrations those that were particularly awe-inspiring, I set to work.

I had to solve several problems: choose the materials for the compositions, think about the technical side, decide on the construction of the furniture and the Peacock.

Because of the unique shape, it was decided to make the couch myself. There was no way for craftsmen specialising in furniture miniatures to buy something like this.

Cardboard, glue, paper, papier-mache, many hours of design thinking and even more time to realise it made the couch identical to the one depicted by George Plank on the magazine cover.

"VOGUE VINTAGE November 1911", 55×40cm, papier-mâché, LaDoll, silk, tulle, hand embroidery.

I created the entire sculptural part of the work at the same time. I wanted to replicate the historical illustrations as closely as possible.

With the peacock rider, on the other hand, I took some liberties with the image. Changing the pose of the heroine allowed me to emphasise the dress. There were more opportunities to expose the composition itself.

It was decided to cut the peacock out of foam plastic, followed by the use of glued Kraft paper.

After dealing with the sculptural and technical part of the work, I plunged into filling the image. Here I used vintage and modern fabrics, braid, beads and ribbons. I enjoyed embroidering with thread and beads, dyeing fabrics, painting silk, weaving cords, decorating with craquelure and gilding. All these are just a small part of the decorative techniques I was able to use to create the characters.

Working on "VOGUE VINTAGE" took me 6 months. The collection was presented at the exhibition "The Art of the Doll" held in Gostiny Dvor in December this year. The public and specialists met it very well.

"VOGUE VINTAGE april 1915", 53 cm, Ia doll, silk.

Svetlana talks about herself:

I was born, live and work in the town of Khimki near Moscow. Married, mother of two children, three cats and two dogs.

I studied at a children's art school. My love of arts and crafts determined my choice of career as a jeweller.

Subsequently, I plunged headlong into the world of art dolls. This is where my knowledge and skills in arts and crafts came in handy.

I am convinced that a craftsman just needs to constantly learn new techniques and improve his skills. Today I am studying at a youth sculpture studio, studying the history of art and costume and their influence on people. I attend a large number of lectures and master classes.

I am a regular participant of international exhibitions and competitions: "MoscowFair", "Spring Ball of Dolls", "International Salon of Author's Dolls on Tishinka", "The Art of Dolls", "Panna doll'ya", "Golden Hands of Russia".

Member of the Union of Decorative and Applied Art Artists (UCAA)

Laureate of the international competition "Parfum"

One of the organisers of the TSX DPI competition "Let's Dance".

For one of the works in the collection (VOGUE VINTAGE april 1915) she received the main prize of the international puppetry community - "Pandora Platinum".

Materials for the publication are provided by the author of the puppets, Svetlana Gevorkyan.

The author of the article is Tatiana Kalinina.