1970s Icon Antonio Lopez
Sex, Fashion, and Disco Documentary
Back in the 70s, sex, fashion, and disco were everything. The MVP of that milieu of mayhem was Antonio Lopez, one of the most iconic fashion illustrators of all time. The Puerto Rican-born, New York-raised artist was a prominent figure in the field of fashion, and he was responsible for reviving gorgeous hand-drawings in the photography-obsessed design world. Not for nothing, Lopez also had an eye for talent and beauty and is also credited with discovering many models and actresses of the time, including Grace Jones and Jessica Lange.
In the new documentary Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco, produced and directed by James Crump, we learn about both Lopez and his partner/collaborator Juan Ramos, and how influential they were in the fashion world, across both New York and Paris.
But the focus here is on Lopez. Through vintage photos and videos, and interviews with collaborators and colleagues like Joan Juliet Buck and Grace Coddington, we learn why the flamboyant Lopez was so beloved by his peers. He was best friends with Karl Lagerfeld and Bill Cunningham, a passionate lover of both men and women – including long-time girlfriend Jerry Hall – and admired by the most important people in the industry. Also, if the legends are true, he was quite possibly the best disco dancer who ever lived.
Sadly, Lopez passed away from AIDS in 1987 (Ramos died in 1995) but his legacy lives on in this gorgeous and fabulous documentary which aims to influence a new generation of fashion designers, illustrators, and their colorful followers.
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco opens November 10.
