What, Me Hurry? An Interview With Menswear Illustrator Mr. Slowboy
November 28, 2016
Over the years, one of the recurring themes at Ivy Style has been the lost art of menswear illustration. From JC Leyendecker’s Harvard jocks of the teens and ’20s to Esquire and Apparel Arts in the ’30s, from Ivy ads in the ’50s and ’60s to contemporary Japanese illustration, we’ve presented it all and many of you are as charmed by the detail and wit as I am.
I’m happy to report that menswear illustration still attracts new practitioners. Recently I discovered the work of Mr. Slowboy, real name Fei Wang, a London-based former creative director at an advertising agency. His work was recently featured in a lookbook for menswear shop The Armoury, and it turns out Mr. Slowboy has a fondness for the Ivy League Look. (Can you spot Japanese Ivy clothier Tailor Caid in the gallery below?)
Love these illustrations. The rather straight-laced guy outside The Fox looks a bit like me, at least his chesterfield and tweedy suit. I missed most of the golden age of illustration, but love looking at the ads in magazines of the 30s through the 60s.
I absolutely love the illustrations from Fei Wang alias Mr. Slowboy!! He did some nice also for Drake’s and for Alexander Kraft in his function as CEO for Sotheby’s Real Estate France. And of course for the Armoury….
Christian, Your’s is really very “reussi”…love the Ivy Style book under your arm….
Bonne journée!!
Simple sketches yet pinpoint accurate on the clothing details. I found the way he draws many of the faces on his figures, they seem to point in two directions at once.
Over the years, one of the recurring themes at Ivy Style has been the lost art of menswear illustration. From JC Leyendecker’s Harvard jocks of the teens and ’20s to Esquire and Apparel Arts in the ’30s, from Ivy ads in the ’50s and ’60s to contemporary Japanese illustration, we’ve presented it all and many of you are as charmed by the detail and wit as I am.
Absolutely delightful illustrations. Articles about illustrators are one of I-S’s best features IMO.
Will check out your linked article, Christian.
The fellow with the umbrella and raincoat in hand looks similar to a certain blogger of a style which is called ivy.
Will
Love these illustrations. The rather straight-laced guy outside The Fox looks a bit like me, at least his chesterfield and tweedy suit. I missed most of the golden age of illustration, but love looking at the ads in magazines of the 30s through the 60s.
Great article, CC. These illustrations always serve me some sort of inspiration to Ivy.
One illustration almost looks like that blonde character from “Mystic Pizza.”
These are fantastic. Thank you for sharing.
Gorgeous stuff
I enjoy the image of Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones drummer. Rock ‘n Roll tom tom player yes, but with the heart and rhythm of a jazz drummer.
Very nice stuff!
NDC, that illustration of Charlie Watts was why I was scrolling down to post!
You described him well there.
I absolutely love the illustrations from Fei Wang alias Mr. Slowboy!! He did some nice also for Drake’s and for Alexander Kraft in his function as CEO for Sotheby’s Real Estate France. And of course for the Armoury….
Christian, Your’s is really very “reussi”…love the Ivy Style book under your arm….
Bonne journée!!
Simple sketches yet pinpoint accurate on the clothing details. I found the way he draws many of the faces on his figures, they seem to point in two directions at once.