René Gruau 

Biography of René Gruau  ( 1909-2004 )

René Gruau was a fashion designer, illustrator and poster artist. When his parents separated, he had to find work to earn his living. He gave up on becoming an architect and started his career on fashion illustrator in 1924. In 1926, his meeting with the editor of the Milanese Lidel magazine appeared to be a key and he obtained many orders for this magazine.

Arround the 1930’s, he settled in Paris with his mother where he started to be known and he worked for the magazines Marianne, L’album du Figaro, Femina, Marie-Claire and L’Officiel de la Couture. American and English magazines also ordered him some drawings.

If René Gruau dedicated himself to fashion drawing for many years, he turned towards publicity from 1947, urged on by the creations of his friends Christian Dior and Jacques Fath. He worked with luxury Parisian companies, in the area of haute couture, fashion accessories, lingerie, perfumes and also cosmetics. At this time, he realised one of his first advertising drawing for the fragrance Miss Dior from Christian Dior.

In 1949, René Gruau created the first poster for Rouge Baiser - Red Kiss, the famous lipstick developped by Paul Baudecroux in 1927. Then he offered a variety of features on this theme and realised many advertisings, of whom the Palais Galliera (Musuem of fashion in Paris) has an original one. In his drawings, he always alluded to refined woman, as elegant as sensual.

From 1956 to 1985, he realised posters for the Lido, and, in 1961, he made the costumes and the set for La Belle de Paris, comic opera staged at the Opera Comique in Paris.

Between 1961 and 1970, he dedicated his art to publicity and the compagnies Imperméables Blizzand, Eminence, Pancaldi, Bemberg worked with him. He also realised posters for Le Moulin Rouge and les Ballets de Roland Petit. Gruau continued to make fashion drawing and worked with Elle, Madame Figaro, L’Officiel de la Couture and Vogue.