NYLON - March 2009 - (Page 106) designer sketches thanks to these couture-crazed artists, old-school fashion illustration is getting a modern makeover. laura laine helsinki, finland look out for: Ethereal drawings that have graced the pages of The New York Times’ T Magazine and ELLEGirl HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR AESTHETIC? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT SO FAR? garance doré paris, france It’s a bit twisted, a bit dark, and a bit surreal. I prefer working in black and white—adding color sometimes feels like an interference. I illustrated the fall ’08 collections for China’s IT Post magazine and was really happy with how it turned out. I drew Kenzo, Viktor & Rolf, and Gareth Pugh, and chose looks that had a lot of volume—I like big shapes and drama. HOW HAS FASHION ILLUSTRATION CHANGED NOW THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS SO UBIQUITOUS? look out for: Doré’s cult blog (garancedore.fr), filled with elegant sketches, photos, and her own charming observations HOW DID YOU GET INTO FASHION ILLUSTRATION? cecilia carlstedt stockholm, sweden WHICH DESIGNER’S WORK IS THE MOST FUN TO INTERPRET? WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES? look out for: Otherworldly watercolors and inky drawings commissioned by MTV, H&M, and Swarovski HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR AESTHETIC? Since fashion illustration allows you to exaggerate and experiment without limitation, I enjoy interpreting really theatrical and outthere creations from designers like Viktor & Rolf or Hussein Chalayan. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FASHION ILLUSTRATOR? Egon Schiele, Rei Kawakubu, and Gareth Pugh. I’m inspired by their darkness and theatricality. Also, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, because they’re interested in distortion and unusual angles, like shooting from behind the model. Before photography was commonplace, illustration was used for its informative value and was very literal. I try to bring something more to it—a specific mood, a feeling, the thoughts fashion awakens in me. ERIN MAGNER I used to do PR for experimental cinema but always wanted to draw, so when I was 25, I started taking my portfolio to editors. But magazine illustrators have to work within a lot of constraints and I felt quite frustrated, which is why I started my blog. HOW HAS BLOGGING HELPED YOU GROW AS AN ILLUSTRATOR? Eclectic, with a love for contrasts WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOUR WORK? I love the work of Elizabeth Peyton, Luc Tuymans, Aubrey Beardsley, and Katsushika Hokusai, to name a few. But mainly, I get inspired when I see something that triggers the nerve to create, and that could be anything from an unusual color combination to an interesting face. Experiment a lot with different media to create your personal style. Always keep up-to-date on what’s going on in the field. Get the basics: a website, a business card, a portfolio. And contact everyone you would like to work for. SAMANTHA GILEWICZ I work best when I’m able to do what I want. Plus, if I didn’t have the blog, I’m sure there would be days that I wouldn’t feel like drawing. But now I have to—people look forward to my posts, and it’s nice to have an excuse to be creative and share something every day. YOU ALSO DO A LOT OF PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE BLOG. HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE YOUR ILLUSTRATION? a more modern feel to my drawings—postures and attitudes have changed a lot from the old illustration methods. I have to be inspired by what’s new and fresh, and that comes from what I shoot on the street and what I see in magazines. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO AN ASPIRING FASHION ILLUSTRATOR? Pay attention to what’s happening in the business. Fashion is like electricity, and you have to follow the current—the dress of the moment, the mood of the moment, the girl of the moment. EM Photography has given 106 http://www.garancedore.fr
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