Benjamin Fretwell

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Graduate Awards

2009-06-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

I was honored to present the FIDM Graphic Design Award to winner Jocelyn Goode at the 2009 Commencement Exercises.

Guest judge again for the FIDM design award!

2009-05-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Has it been a year already? Where has the time gone?

Fashion and Art Down Under

2009-04-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

Off to Australia for the month of April to check in on the world of fashion and art down under. Can't wait to feel the buzz and be inspired, particularly during Fashion Week in Sydney (the last week of April).

Christmas 2008

2009-01-01T14:31:00.001-08:00

Lower Gough / Hayes Valley Promo

2008-12-01T17:48:00.001-08:00

Mermaid

2008-11-19T15:48:00.000-08:00

SF MOMA

2008-11-19T15:46:00.001-08:00

Directory of Illustration #25

2008-11-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

2008-05-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Invited to be a guest adjudicator at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, San Francisco.

Style Source

2008-04-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Elements of Style has become Style Source. It's being printed this week. Contains roughly 400 of my full-color illustrations.

Snack Smart

2008-02-19T18:06:00.001-08:00

Muscle & Fitness HERS Magazine editorial piece
May/June, 2008

Elements of Style

2008-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Officially completed my work today on the Elements of Style fashion textbook project. 400 illustrations later and I'm still sane, relatively! There were times, though… ah, but that's another story.

Macy's Christmas Elves

2008-02-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

Men's Tropical Cologne – Macy's West, 2008

2008-01-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

I was asked to create a male counterpart to complement 2007's successful Tropical Perfume piece. Hence, this young man in the same setting with his Tropical Cologne, and most definitely on his way to the same rendezvous!

Tampax Ad – Cosmopolitan Magazine, February 2008

2008-01-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Also ran in Elle, People and Lucky, among others.

2007-11-16T11:32:00.001-08:00

Iceberg

2007-11-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

Directory Of Illustration No. 24

2007-11-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

Macy's – Christmas Gift

2007-11-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

China Moon

2007-11-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

Tropical perfume ad

2007-11-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest work for Macy's West cosmetics. I've always admired those classic vintage travel posters from the early part of the last century. The way they tantalize and entice you toward veiled and mysterious locales with whispered promises of unparalleled adventure. Who hasn't reveled in that fantasy! It's very seductive. I love when a project speaks to me that way and inspires that same romantic yearning for the faraway, secluded and exotic. I'm also drawn to the intimacy of the private moment, that furtive spritz of cologne as she dashes off into the twilight to a romantic rendezvous.

2007-11-15T19:06:00.001-08:00

La Vie En Rose premiere
San Francisco
May 10, 2007

Macy's Passport 2007 – San Francisco

2007-09-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2007.

Here's a shot of Benjamin in front of his work at the Macy's Passport 2007 V.I.P. gala in San Francisco on Thursday, September 20, presented by American Express. What a fabulous, glittering night. His stunning artwork was displayed on the red carpet right outside the main entrance, and then, immediately inside, this huge suspended version towered over the crowd to welcome everyone into the celebration. It was a perfect complement to the overall fantasy theme of the night. The pre-show entertainment featured onstage and roving performances by Cirque du Soleil. It was inspiring to be part of such an elegant and worthwhile evening of art, fashion and philanthropy which has dazzled for 25 years and raised $25 million in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Nice shoes!

2006-09-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

When Bloomingdale’s recently opened their highly anticipated new store in San Francisco, Macy’s ran a full-page, full-color ad in the Chronicle welcoming them to the San Francisco market. I was the lucky artist they asked to create the ad. It was a fun project and an excellent public relations piece. Impactful, lighthearted, fostering sincere goodwill and conveying a good-natured wink between two retail giants. It was also a tip of the hat to San Francisco, and I’m always happy for an opportunity to throw that into the mix in my work. I love this city!