René Gruau, an Italian-born artist who made his name in Paris and New York as an illustrator for fashion houses, women's magazines, nightclubs and ballet companies, died in Rome on March 31 2004 at the age of 95.

Born Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli in Rimini, Italy, on Feb. 4, 1909, he was the son of an Italian count, though his true muse was his aristocratic French mother, Maria Gruau, whose name he took. He showed a talent for drawing in his teens, and in his 20's he moved to Paris and began doing illustrations for fashion magazines like Marie Claire and Vogue.

His career took off after the war when he met Christian Dior. In 1947 Mr. Gruau created the Miss Dior image, with its elegant white swan, black bow and string of pearls. In 1948 he moved briefly to New York, where he worked for Harper's Bazaar.

In the years that followed and later from his home in Cannes, he did fashion drawings for major couture houses, including Pierre Balmain, Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Rochas.

Clothes were the focus of his work, but the women he drew often seemed to come alive.

His unique style shaped fashion illustration for decades and he represented the last gold period of fashion illustration before fashion photography and then digital art became the main tool visual expression in fashion.

I believe that my jewellery would have looked fantastic in his illustrations. I much admire his vibrant use of colour.

www.renegruau.com