The fashion illustrator David Downton has released a new book, entitled Portraits of the World’s Most Stylish Women. As you can imagine from the name, it’s a collection of over 150 of Downton’s drawings of fashionable women. His subjects come from the worlds of film, fashion and style, and range from Diane Von Furstenberg to Catherine Deneuve and Iman. The drawings are accompanied by behind-the-scenes anecdotes from David’s portrait sittings, as well as a foreward by Christian Lacroix and an afterward by Dita Von Teese.

Trained in graphics, Downton began his work in art as an illustrator going for any job he could, and soon realised that his talent lay in fashion. During his career he has worked with publications like Vogue and brands like Chanel. For his series on stylish women, he would spend a couple of hours sketching his subject, and then render the sketch in watercolour in his studio.

Downton is the artist-in-residence at Claridges, where last Tuesday he hosted a launch party for his new book, attended by the likes of Erin O’Connor and Joan Collins (both of whom feature in his book).

Portraits of the World’s Most Stylish Women is out now.

Text by Prudence Wade