Emerging in the late 1970s, during a time when the realm of fashion illustration was eclipsed by photography and watercolor as a conceptual medium was barely explored, Mats Gustafson’s independent and applied arts nearly single-handedly reinvented the medium. His elegant, pared-down aesthetic has shown how unencumbered and expressive these forms of graphic practice can be; his exquisite, extraordinary watercolor and cut-out paperworks have extended the possibilities of fashion illustration.

Gustafson’s fashion advertising clients include Hermès, Tiffany & Co., Christian Dior, Yohji Yamamoto and Comme des Garçons. He has also created portrait and fashion editorial illustrations for French and Italian Vogue and Visionaire. Gustafson’s work has been featured in publications and exhibitions worldwide.