Daily Planet Gallery :: TOTALLY 80's! PAT NAGEL, DENNIS MUKAI, ROBERT BLUE, BRIAN ZICK, PRECIADO, LEAL and more

Early 80s Advertisement for Bullock's Wilshire- LA TIMES by Fashion Illustrator Gregory Weir-Quiton

Artist: Gregory Weir-Quiton (Penciller)

2 Comments - 243 Views - 2 Likes

Early 80s Advertisement for Bullock's Wilshire- LA TIMES by Fashion Illustrator Gregory Weir-Quiton Comic Art

Additional Images:

Detail pencil

Showcase description Just Looking Gallery

Previous Item:
Elegante ** Dennis Mukai Canvas, 1988

Next Item:
Playboy Forum Final April 1986 ** Dennis Mukai Pin-up

Artwork Details

Title:	Early 80s Advertisement for Bullock's Wilshire- LA TIMES by Fashion Illustrator Gregory Weir-Quiton
Artist:	Gregory Weir-Quiton (Penciller)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Illustration
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	243
Likes on CAF:	2 3
Comments:	2
Added to Site:	7/9/2023
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Early 80s Fashion Illustration for Bullock's Wilshire published in LA TIMES. Featured piece for Just Looking Gallery GWQ 2021 show. Living in LA, the Bullocks Wilshire Building is a work of art in itself. We believe it was for May Co. Incredible detail in the dress.
From: JLG blog: Gregory Weir-Quiton’s distinctive illustrative style was largely developed and defined during a 10 year period where he worked with Bullocks Wilshire in Los Angeles. Gregory had moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1961 and over the next 20 years he illustrated for retailers in the fashion industry including The May Company, J.W. RobinsonCo., The Broadway, I. Magnin, and Bullocks Wilshire. It was his relationship with Bullocks Wilshire specifically though that would prove definitive for both Bullocks Wilshire (BW) and Gregory Weir-Quiton (GWQ). BW proposed a ten year contract with Gregory in 1981, during which time they wanted a certain look to their illustrations that embodied the women’s luxury specialty store and the lifestyle they were selling. They told GWQ to conceptualize the ideal women; they called her the “Bullocks Wilshire Woman.”

As specified by Bullocks Wilshire, the BW Woman had to be 5’11” tall, weigh 114lbs, wear a size 4 dress, have dark hair, be an international woman with European features but slightly ambiguous with idealized fuller lips, noticeable nostrils and a defined bone structure.

To understand the BW Woman, you first have to understand the Bullocks Wilshire building itself and the gilded lifestyle that shopping at BW embodied. The Bullocks Wilshire building, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Downtown Los Angeles, is a gleaming example of LA Art Deco architecture and styling; opened in September of 1929, this magnificent building created the cornerstone of the elegant entertainment district. Shoppers in the early twentieth century would typically arrive at BW on a streetcar or by a private automobile, Hollywood and LA’s elite were of course chauffeured, where they were immediately greeted by an awestruck art deco mural in the porte-cochère titled ’Spirit Transportation.’
As with most department and luxury specialty stores, Bullocks Wilshire was geared towards women. According to historian Michael Windover, “The modern activity of shopping was closely associated with women, and certainly by the 1920s, department stores were well-established places of female public culture.” The store was famous for its service and amenities, with fashion shows, personal shoppers and an elegant tearoom; shoppers were treated to an elegance and opulence creating an unique experience rivaling the best department and luxury specialty stores around the world. Mothers would take their daughters to BW to teach them about elegance and sophistication. When Gregory was working in the building, he would hear stories from elderly women about how they had come to the Bullocks Wilshire tearoom with their mother’s when they were young. As a high class speciality store, BW would host magnificent events with famous people from around the world; Gregory himself met fashion designers like Christian Lacroix and even Royalty like Queen Elizabeth’s Sister, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.

The “Bullocks Wilshire Woman” had to represent the elegant ambience and history of the store, while at the same time being the most contemporary, stylish and cultured of women in the 1980s. Photography was popular at the time, but BW preferred illustration because it allowed them to create a more unique and idealized style that embodied BW, and photography didn’t reproduce as well in newspaper print where illustrations reproduced beautifully. The art directors gave Gregory a description of what this woman would look like; she would be affluent, well traveled, sophisticated and of course beautiful beyond imagination. Details of the woman went down to how tall she was, what she weighed, what size clothes she wore and even down to her facial features.

Gregory then started to fabricate the ideal women for Bullocks Wilshire around 1983. He created a beautiful representation for BW with the illustrations of the woman he had created from their specifications. To tie in the Art Deco style of the BW building, Gregory used designs and patterns from the BW building itself; including the elevator doors, the details on the facade and other interior decor as backgrounds for his illustrations. The gigantic Art Deco murals were a main source of inspiration for Gregory too.
Gregory Weir-Quiton would have live models come into his studio to pose in the clothes he was illustrating. In the 80’s Gregory’s studio was only a couple of blocks away from the Bullocks Wilshire building. He would walk to BW to pick up clothes, jewelry and accessories to bring them back to the studio to draw. Some poses took him over 7 hours to finish, so GWQ would take polaroid pictures to keep as reference.

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	Daily Planet Gallery ( 2 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	August 2020
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	filmfaerie
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Daily Planet 's Classifieds Daily Planet 's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About Daily Planet Gallery

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

Posted on 7/10/2023

Showcasing the ideal look of class and sophistiction of 80's glamor and culture. The glitz and glam of Old Hollywood with the fashion styles that have the clean lines, big shoulder pads, and reflective material to shimmer for the bright lights of adventurous night life. From the physical attributes, you can tell this lady is sexy, but not in an overt manner as to not offend the core group they are advertising towards.

frank x townsondecker
Member Since 2006

Posted on 7/10/2023

Nice!

All
	Mike Humphrey 9/6/2025 7:11:00 PM
	Chris Johnson 9/6/2025 7:02:00 PM
	Craig Zablo 9/6/2025 6:57:00 PM
	PATRON OF COMIC ART 9/6/2025 6:32:00 PM
	Rugrat Spawn 9/6/2025 5:47:00 PM
View All


	Mark Graham 9/6/2025 5:34:00 PM
	J Murdock 9/6/2025 5:26:00 PM
	Shannon Weathers 9/6/2025 5:16:00 PM
	Dave E 9/6/2025 4:57:00 PM
	GP Bart 9/6/2025 4:33:00 PM