Fashion Illustrations For Vogue by Helen Dryden in the Early 20th Century

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Born 1882 in Baltimore, American artist Helen Dryden spent a year trying to interest fashion magazines in her drawings after moving to New York in 1909. None, however, showed any interest in her work and many were harsh with criticism. She was particularly disappointed in her rejection by Vogue.

Fashion illustrations for Vogue by Helen Dryden in the early 20th century

Less than a year later, however, Condé Nast Publications assumed management of Vogue and set out to make changes. Upon seeing Dryden’s drawings, they directed the fashion editor to contact her immediately. The result was a Vogue contract that led to a 13-year collaboration (1909–1922) during which she produced many fashion illustrations and magazine covers.

Her “essentially romantic style produced some of the most appealing, yet fantastical images on Vogue covers, frequently depicting imagined rather than realistic representations of dress.” She also illustrated other Condé Nast titles, including Vanity Fair and House and Garden.

Dryden was reportedly described by The New York Times as being the highest-paid woman artist in the United States, though she lived in comparative poverty in later years. She died in 1972 in New York, aged 89.

Here below is a set of amazing photos that show fashion illustrations for Vogue by Helen Dryden in the early 20th century.