?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
ROBERT MELENDEZ (1944-) Redheaded model wearing Traina Sport by Kay Unger and Jesper Nyeboe.
Illustration published on the cover of Women's Wear Daily, February 25, 1971. Gouache on paper. 420x253 mm; 16 1/2x10 inches, sheet. Signed, dated, and captioned "2/25/71 Melendez / WWD Page One"; signed on verso as well.
Melendez, still creating, was a leader in the field of American fashion illustration during the mid-to-late twentieth century. Working in a variety of media, his skilled draftsmanship allowed him to visually communicate with bold, energetic designs. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Melendez moved to New York City to study at Parsons School of Design before being appointed staff illustrator for Women's Wear Daily and Daily News Record from 1967 – 1991 and as a staff illustrator for The Tobe Report from 1991-2005. His elegant drawings for Saks Fifth Avenue appeared in The New York Times from 1971-73 while notable clients included B. Altman & Co., Bonwit Teller, Plymouth Shops, Henri Bendel, and Bergdorf Goodman.
