A Fine Line

Illustration, 1970s

Born in Puerto Rico in 1943 and raised in Spanish Harlem by his father, a mannequin sculptor, Lopez proved extremely gifted from an early age. By the time he was 22, he was making $1,000 per illustration. After hooking up with his longtime partner and collaborator, Juan Ramos, he set up a studio and began working on covers for major publications, as well as ads for brands like Valentino, Missoni, and Versace. Every major player looked to Lopez for inspiration, from then-fledgling Chloé designer Karl Lagerfeld to Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, who would send along his drawings to photo shoots, instructing the crew to simply recreate them.