#34. "I am B to D with F" and Joe Eula's Original Sketches of Pauline Trigère

“I was considered the fastest pencil in the field, a mannequin need only do her turn down the catwalk at a fashion show and voila, an illustration.”  Joe Eula

Joe Eula's sketch of Pauline Trigère

Joe Eula's sketch of Pauline Trigère

In the course of my research, I discovered several original sketches of Pauline Trigère by Joe Eula at Pauline's daughter-in-law Jane Tucker's home. Andy Warhol famously described Joe Eula as "the most important person in New York, knowing everybody who's anybody. Anybody who's somebody..." Joe Eula was a prominent illustrator before fashion photography was fashionable.

The original sketches featured in this blog by Joe were yet another pleasant surprise during my discovery. The first drawing features Pauline sporting her iconic large glasses and bold lipstick, rendered in black and grey watercolor. It is written and signed with "Pauline Trigère, Eula '92." The second sketch depicts Pauline's profile in black ink, her signature stacked bracelets and turtles embellishing her hair and garment. The inscription reads, "Love first for Julio then love to Pauline, Eula, 68," it was a cherished token of their friendship. This second sketch was an intimate gift and was never published.

Joe Eula, born on January 16, 1925 in Norwalk, Connecticut, had a military background and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. After his military service, Eula became a member of the Arts Students League in Manhattan, and his drawings appeared in various publications such as Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, and The New York Times.

He collaborated with the renowned fashion journalist Eugenia Sheppard from The New York Herald Tribune and accompanied Eugenia for the biannual couture shows in Paris. Eula contributed to numerous fashion magazines and worked as a resident artist for renowned brands including Chanel, Givenchy, Dior, and Karl Lagerfeld. In the 1970s, he held the position of Creative Director at Halston, where he also supervised Halston’s fragrance and home collections for almost ten years. Eula's charactor was portrayed by David Pittu appeared prominently in the Netflix's five episode biographical mini series "Halston" with Ewan McGregor in the starring role.

Aside from his extensive fashion portfolio, Joe also did illustrations in other artistic fields including music and theatre. They included designing the album covers for Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain", The Supremes, and Liza Minnelli's "Liza with a “Z”" album. His illustrations captured the essence and energy of each musician. He collaborated on hundreds of covers for LIFE magazine with photographer Milton Greene. Additionally, he created costumes for the New York City Ballet and received a Tony award for his costume design on Broadway.

The New York Times' pre-eminent fashion journalist Cathy Horyn published a comprehensive book showcasing Joe Eula's sketches, titled "Masters of Fashion Illustration". The book includes sketches of fashion collections and celebrities. I ordered the book and to my surprise found It also featured two illustrations of Pauline Trigere's 1960's collection on pages 119 and 121. Horyn penned Joe's obituary [here] after he passed away from pneumonia on October 28, 2004 at age 79.

Joe also illustrated a book in conjunction with Tiffany's titled “Tiffany’s Table of Manners for Teenagers”. The book contains quick sketches paired with instructions such as:

“The napkin belongs on your lap. Avoid wearing it around your neck or tucking it in your belt.”

“You can start eating without waiting for your hosts, but refrain from devouring your food like an Irish wolfhound.”

“The fish or meat will be presented to you on your left side. Hold the serving fork in your left hand and the serving spoon in your right hand”.

The book was sold for $1 in 1961, making it the cheapest item in the store at that time. In 2021, Tiffany’s released a new video that put a twist on the book. The video began with elegantly dressed Julia Fox heading to an elegant dining table featuring six guests all in beautiful attire seated in a grand dining room. Julia imparting her poorly behaved dinner guests with etiquette such as “Sit up erect, no slouching." After a frustrating period of attempts to conveying civilized manners to the guests to no avail, the video concluded with Julia removing her jacket, dancing with the guests around the dining table and enjoy the moment. While poking fun at the younger generations lacking in civility, the ad hinted that traditions could be rigid and even pretentious. The video seemed to suggest to disregard the importance of polite behavior. As such, I particularly appreciate below insight shared by a viewer:

Once you understand and practice manners, you can play with the rules. They are not a burden but a way to express your personal sense of belonging to the world we live in. Manners are the essence of a personality that shines brighter than any diamond. The best part is: everyone can afford them.  [@cyrill3000]

I am curious what would be Joe’s thoughts on this new Tiffany’s video, sixty-three years after he first illustrated the book. He once famously expressed: “I’m B to D with F.'" i.e. "I am Bored to Death with Fashion," which might indicate his approval of this new, light-hearted approach. What do you think?

August 25, 2024