Antonio Lopez

• Name — Antonio Lopez • Born — 11 February 1943 • Birthplace — Utuado, Puerto Rico • Died — 17 March 1987 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Known for — Illustration • Education — Traphagen School of Fashion, Fashion Institute of Technology

Antonio Lopez was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico. When he was seven years old, his family moved to New York City. His parents, Maria Luisa Cruz and Francisco Lopez influenced him to apply his artistic talents to fashion. He attended the Traphagen School of Fashion, the High School of Art and Design, and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Lopez graduated from Traphagen School of Fashion in 1955 in Illustration. While attending F.I.T. as a student in 1962, he began an internship at Women's Wear Daily which led to him leaving school and working at the publication. Shortly afterward he left for a freelance position at the New York Times. He also did illustrations of fashion designs by Charles James. Lopez worked in close collaboration with Juan Eugene Ramos, and for a few years they were romantic partners. His circle of friends also included photographer Bill Cunningham. Around 1966, Lopez introduced him to photographer David Montgomery, who gave Cunningham his first camera. In 1969 he moved to Paris along with Ramos and was an associate of Karl Lagerfeld; he stayed there until the mid-1970s. Lopez and pop artist Andy Warhol were collaborators; Lopez was the in-house designer for Warhol's Interview magazine for several years, and they created a special Puerto Rico edition in February 1975. Lopez was known for discovering talented young models who would become his muses, often referred to as “Antonio’s Girls”. He discovered Warhol superstar Donna Jordan, providing an important stepping stone for her budding career. Warhol superstar Jane Forth was also his muse. Lopez discovered Jessica Lange and Jerry Hall. He and lived with Hall in Paris at the beginning of her modeling career. Lopez and Ramos also discovered Pat Cleveland, Grace Jones, and Tina Chow. The book Antonio's Tales From the Thousand and One Nights was published in 1985. Lopez explored themes of queer desire and race in his art through cultural references to subjects, such as Josephine Baker and The Wild One. Lopez died of Kaposi's Sarcoma as a complication of AIDS at UCLA Medical Center on March 17, 1987. He was living in New York but was in Los Angeles for an exhibition of his art at Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica; he was attended by his friend and model Susan Baraz. His collaborator Juan Eugene Ramos survived until 1995, when he also died of AIDS.

Lopez' art and photography were exhibited at Staley-Wise Gallery in New York in March–April 2000. Lopez' work was included in April 2009 exhibit "The Line of Fashion", curated by Robert Richards at the Society of Illustrators in association with the Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation. His work is also included in the exhibit "Drawing Fashion" at the Design Museum in London, England, running November 17, 2010- March 6, 2011. In June 2016, the exhibit Antonio Lopez: Future Funk Fashion opened at El Museo del Barrio in New York City.

Antonio Lopez is recorded with the occupation fashion illustrator. Recorded with the occupation poster artist. Recorded as fashion illustrator, painter and artist. Established in Library of Congress under n85013104. Established in FAST under 147592.