May, Regina Agnes Käthe (married name Koch)

Graphic designer, fashion editor, stylist

born: 24.02.1923 in Düsseldorf

died: 22.09.1996 in Badenweiler

May studied graphic design and lettering in Mainz, Offenbach and at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main. She was consistently committed to making fashion recognizable as a reflection of current events. In her early professional years, she created book and magazine illustrations, including for an essay by Alfred Döblin. In 1945, she was given the opportunity to take over the design of the first German post-war magazine "Der Bogen". This was followed by book illustrations and political caricatures for "Der Spiegel". In 1946 she moved to Wiesbaden. In October 1947, she hit the headlines when she submitted a caricature to the competition in connection with the creation of a new Hessian coat of arms, which earned her the disapproval of the state chancellery.

As a fashion illustrator for the FAZ, for which she had developed the newspaper head in 1949, she commented on the latest creations from the haute couture centers of Paris, Rome, Florence and Milan from 1950-75. Gradually, she developed her own artistic style, which stood out from the more classical fashion drawings. Her works from the 1950s to 1970s were shown in exhibitions in Badenweiler, Berlin and Frankfurt. Her interest in fashion led her to work as an editor for the "Constanze Modeheft" magazine and later for Radio Luxemburg. Finally, she worked for ten years as a lecturer in fashion design at Wiesbaden University of Applied Sciences. She also worked as a consultant stylist for various shoe manufacturers. In addition, she used her design skills for many accessories, e.g. in the development of handbags.