Lot 11
Jeff Sayre
American (XX/XXI)
49 Jeff Sayre Illustrations for Geoffrey Beene
mixed media (graphite and ink on unlined 3-ringed notebook paper)
49 fashion illustrations by Jeff Sayre, showcasing distinctly early 1970s designs, including clothing sets and shirtwaist dresses

each: 11 x 8 1/2 inches
unframed

Additional Information:
The Hawaiian-born, California-raised Jeff Sayre graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore as a scholarship Pre-Med student, followed by two years of graduate work in human genetics, with a view to going into scientific research, at which point he decided to change careers totally. As a teenager he had started to paint seriously, very much influenced by the work of Morris Louis and Francis Bacon. Then a chance introduction to a prominent Seventh Avenue manufacturer led to his enrollment at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, again on a scholarship.
Immediately upon graduation from FIT, Sayre went to work for Geoffrey Beene to assist the designer in creating the Beene women's couture collections in 1971, 1972, and 1973. He stayed with Mr. Beene for three and a half years, and then decided to move to Paris to devote himself to his painting and sculpture. However, there he met prêt-à-porter designer Christian Aujard who persuaded Jeff to design his new men's collection which was a huge success.


Provenance:
Property From the Estate of Geoffrey Beene
Proceeds from this item to benefit the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering

overall good condition, some drawings with very gentle creasing