Trude Rein was born in Essen (West Germany) in 1908. She studied at the school of Applied Arts in Hanover, and probably trained as illustrator. In 1935 she moved to Berlin to continue her studies. From 1939 she worked as a teacher in the Textile-und-Modenschule in Berlin, while also working as freelance fashion illustrator.

After the war, she was appointed professor of fashion illustration in several academies in Berlin, and helped generations of students to form their visual language in fashion.

Her collaborations counted fashion magazines, but also companies manufacturers and newspaper.

In the period between 1960 and 1968 True Rein produced more than and donated them to the Berlin Central Library, reporting all the collection from the Paris Couture, contributing to the dissemination of the designs of the capital in Germany. Rein’s exquisite drawings  are able to transport back to the elegant Parisian couture salons of the 1950 and 60s. Trude Rein herself was a regular attendee of the couture shows held in the salons.

Her work is a testimony of the changes that happened in those pivotal ten years, and in 2014 Adelheid Rasche published a book gathering all these materials together. The book has forewords by Didier Grumbach and Moritz Wullen and presents 220 plates, some of which illustrate this entry. Enjoy!