BIO

Bil Donovan is America’s leading contemporary fashion illustrator with an international following. For the past twelve years Donovan has held the esteemed title of Artist-in-Residence for Christian Dior, a position that underlines his standing as a master of fashion illustration with a flowing style that perfectly reflects the elegance and history of the House of Dior. Donovan utilises an innate sense of selectivity to communicate the essence of glamour, luxury and style in all his work. His creative language is entirely unique whilst at the same time being rooted in the finest traditions of fine art painting. His economy of line, predominantly in watercolour, flows across the page creating natural movement and strength whilst perfectly capturing the beauty of the fashion he is illustrating. Donovan’s instantly recognisable illustrative style has led to an enviable list of clients that include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Vogue, Luxure Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Bergdorf Goodman, St. Regis Hotels, L’Occitane, Halston and Saks Fifth Avenue. Of particular note is a large-scale painting in the signature Christian Dior suite at the St. Regis Hotel, New York. Donovan serves on the Executive Board of The Society of Illustrators, New York, chairs the Advisory Board for The Frances Neady Collection of Original Fashion Illustration, New York and is an esteemed Professor of Illustration at both F.I.T and The School of Visual Arts, New York. In 2020 Donovan chaired the acclaimed exhibition ‘Fashion Illustration: The Visionaries’ at The Society of Illustrators, celebrating one hundred years of fashion illustration. Donovan’s work is held in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Collection, New York, The Frances Neady Collection of Original Fashion Illustration, New York and The Society of Illustrators, New York. Exhibitions include The Leslie Lohman Museum, New York (2013) and The Brooklyn Museum, New York (2020).