Thierry Perez was born in 1964 in Tarbes, France. He studied art at the Ecole Superieure d’Art Moderne, in Paris from 1983 to 1985.
His studies were interrupted in 1985, by an offer from Jean-Paul Gaultier, who asked him to illustrate his collections. Perez worked exclusively for Gaultier till 1991 translating the maestro’s ideas into visual reality with his erotic, avant-garde drawings.
This illustration on the right is for two outfits made by Jean-Paul Gaultier in 1991, drawn by Perez.
He then became a freelance illustrator. After going solo, his first commission was a sizzling series of spreads for Italian Vogue. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Vogue Italia, French and Italian Galmour, Elle and Vogue Hommes.
Perez has also worked with many major designers, on projects including Azzedine Alaia and Gianni Versace’s advertising campaigns and Dolce and Gabbana’s catalogue. He illustrated the Invitation for Madonna’s party to launch her book “Sex”. He says “my images are sexy but they always have a funny side too.”
He was clearly drawn to super fierce women of the 90s, most notably, all the supermodels and Madonna, who he continuously drew, and as I saw in the book ‘Madonna in Art’ continues to draw Madonna in each new incarnation of her image.
FASHION / Manipulated lady: The modern woman has pneumatic breasts, big hair, powerful heels
stated the independant
He mixes traditional aesthetics with the anecdotal style of the comic strip, daring young iconoclast Thierry Perez is inspired by the Baroque, by eroticism and by all extremes in the visual domain.
He has held several major exhibitions. In 1995, an exhibition of paintings of dolls at the Premiere Heure in Paris. In 1996 he collaborated with Jeremy Scott at the Colette in Paris, and made an animation movie in 1998 for the Pascal collection. He made another animation movie for Azzedine Alaia in 1998, for which he won the trophy for the 6th Festival of Fashion Photography.
In 2000 he collaborated in the Fashion Illustration Now exhibition for Thames and Hudson, at the Mayor Gallery in London.
However, he will always be known for the fashion illustrations featured below. One interesting clip of an Alaia show shows a rare animated illustration feature worked into a clip of Alaia’s spring 1991 show, including Neneh Cherry.
KK'S WAY 