Bea Feitler
Encyclopedia
Beatriz Feitler was a Brazil
ian designer
and art director
best known for her work in Harper's Bazaar
, Ms., Rolling Stone
and the premiere issue of the modern Vanity Fair
.
, where her parents fled to from World War II
Europe. She studied and lived for most of her working life in the United States where she graduated from Parson's School of Design. Back in Brazil after her graduation in 1959, she collaborated with the design of Senhor magazine and founded together with the cartoonist Jaguar
, Estudio G: an art studio specialized in album covers, posters and book design. Amongst her most important works of this period are the book covers made for Editora do Autor, a brief publishing enterprise of the authors Fernando Sabino
and Rubem Braga
.
by her former teacher at Parsons, Marvin Israel
, becoming co-art director of the magazine along with Ruth Ansel only two years later. In 1972 Feitler left Harper's Bazaar
and joined Gloria Steinem
in Ms. magazine, where she would remain until 1974. After this period Feitler started giving classes at the School of Visual Arts (an activity that would last until 1980) and worked on several freelance projects like posters and costumes for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, ad campaigns for Christian Dior
, Diane von Furstenberg
, Bill Haire and Calvin Klein
, and record jackets including the album Black and Blue
by the Rolling Stones.
In 1975, thanks to the insistence of Annie Leibovitz
, Feitler started working for Rolling Stone, beginning her six-year association with the magazine which would lead her to redesigning its format twice.
. At that time she had undergone surgery twice to treat a rare form of cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy for several months already. Although she approved the mechanicals, after completing the issue she went back home to Brazil and did not live to see it published.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
and art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
best known for her work in Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Ms., Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and the premiere issue of the modern Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
.
Early life, education and early career
Feitler was born in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, where her parents fled to from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Europe. She studied and lived for most of her working life in the United States where she graduated from Parson's School of Design. Back in Brazil after her graduation in 1959, she collaborated with the design of Senhor magazine and founded together with the cartoonist Jaguar
Jaguar (cartoonist)
Sérgio Jaguaribe , known as Jaguar, is a Brazilian cartoonist and comics artist. He was born in Rio de Janeiro.A Banco do Brasil clerk, Jaguar started sketching in a professional basis in 1952, when he offered the weekly magazine Manchete some cartoons loosely based on the work of the...
, Estudio G: an art studio specialized in album covers, posters and book design. Amongst her most important works of this period are the book covers made for Editora do Autor, a brief publishing enterprise of the authors Fernando Sabino
Fernando Sabino
Fernando Sabino was a Brazilian writer and journalist.Sabino was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, where he lived until he was twenty, when he moved to Rio de Janeiro....
and Rubem Braga
Rubem Braga
Rubem Braga was a notable Brazilian writer of short stories. He was born in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim city, state of Espírito Santo, on January 12, 1913....
.
Later career
In 1961 Feitler returned to the United States where she was hired as an art assistant at Harper's BazaarHarper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
by her former teacher at Parsons, Marvin Israel
Marvin Israel
Marvin Israel , was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Bessie and Harry Israel. He was an American artist, photographer, painter, teacher and art director from New York known for modern/surreal interiors, abstract imagery. Created sinister shadowy and exuberant interiors with implications of...
, becoming co-art director of the magazine along with Ruth Ansel only two years later. In 1972 Feitler left Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
and joined Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
in Ms. magazine, where she would remain until 1974. After this period Feitler started giving classes at the School of Visual Arts (an activity that would last until 1980) and worked on several freelance projects like posters and costumes for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, ad campaigns for Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
, Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
, Bill Haire and Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
, and record jackets including the album Black and Blue
Black and Blue
Black and Blue is the 13th British and 15th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1976. It was the band's first studio album released with Ronnie Wood as the replacement for Mick Taylor...
by the Rolling Stones.
In 1975, thanks to the insistence of Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
, Feitler started working for Rolling Stone, beginning her six-year association with the magazine which would lead her to redesigning its format twice.
Illness and death
Feitler's final project was the premiere issue of the revived Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
. At that time she had undergone surgery twice to treat a rare form of cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy for several months already. Although she approved the mechanicals, after completing the issue she went back home to Brazil and did not live to see it published.