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Emilia Wickstead

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 08:34:14 GMT

Emilia Wickstead - Design Intern

Type of Position: Internship / Work Placement

Company / Organisation / Artist Name: Emilia Wickstead

Area of Fashion: Fashion Design & Production

Location: Ladbroke Grove, West London, London, UK

Length of Internship / Placement: Minimum 3 months

Hours: Full Time

Salary / Wage: National Minimum Wage +

Website: https://emiliawickstead.com/

Twitter Handle: @

Deadline: Ongoing

Ad Expires In: 1 month 5 days

About: Established in 2008, the designer RTW label Emilia Wickstead has become the epitome of modern femininity. Known for her modern silhouettes and strong colour use, the techniques she utilises serve to create clothes that effortlessly combine traditional with contemporary with an insistence on quality and a clear point of distinction.

Originally commencing as a made-to-measure atelier, Emilia’s collections are currently seasonal ready-to-wear and have been showcased at London Fashion Week since SS12.

Her collections are held in some of the most prestigious stockists in the world, including Net-A-Porter, Selfridges, Harrods, Matches, and Moda Operandi to name a few, alongside her flagship store which opened in 2014 on London’s Sloane

Hobbs London

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 08:22:27 GMT

Illustrator & Print Designer

Type of Position: Permanent Position

Company / Organisation / Artist Name: Hobbs

Area of Fashion: Fashion Design & Production | Graphic Design & Illustration

Location: Central London, London, UK

Hours: Full Time

Experience: 2 to 5 years

Start Date: ASAP

Salary / Wage: Competitive with benefits

Website: https://www.hobbs.com/

Twitter Handle: @

Deadline: Ongoing

Ad Expires In: 1 month 1 week

About: Hobbs London is a luxury women’s fashion brand, showcasing timeless British style and expert craftsmanship. Since our first shop opened in Hampstead, London in 1981, Hobbs has grown from a small yet sought-after shoes label to a global brand synonymous with the best of British design.

Season after season, each Hobbs collection embodies the multifaced nature of our modern woman – we pride ourselves on crafting pieces she loves to wear. Tailored to be feminine, you’ll find everyday polish alongside standout event dressing.

Vivienne Westwood

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 08:10:23 GMT

Fashion Illustrator Assistant

Type of Position: Permanent Position

Company / Organisation / Artist Name: Vivienne Westwood

Area of Fashion: Fashion Design & Production | Graphic Design & Illustration

Location: Battersea, South West London, London, UK

Hours: Full Time

Experience: 1 to 2 years

Reference Number: CM710089LonFIA

Salary / Wage: £23,000 - £30,000

Website: https://www.viviennewestwood.com/en/

Twitter Handle: @

Deadline: Ongoing

Ad Expires In: 1 month 5 days

About: Vivienne Westwood is one of the last truly independent fashion companies within the international arena. We produce four clothing labels, leather goods, jewellery and a range of other accessories, fragrances and homewares.

With a design record spanning over 40 years, beginning with punk rock in the 1970s, Vivienne Westwood's designs have had significant cultural repercussions far beyond the world of fashion. Today, the Vivienne Westwood brand produces clothes and accessories that appeal to a wide audience: from young to old, rock to royalty.

Presenting a minimum of three fashion shows per season during Milan, London and Paris Fashion Weeks, Vivienne Westwood is considered one of the most inspirational and avant-garde brands within the fashion industry.

Queen X London Fashion Week (The Veil)

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:35:50 GMT

Queen X London Fashion Week (The Veil)

It’s impossible to write about September’s London Fashion Week, without talking about the death of Queen Elizabeth II. London Fashion Week had it’s schedule thrown up in the air by the sudden death of the Queen of England. The Queen died on 8th September, London Fashion Week was booked and planned to run from 16th-20th September. The Queen’s Funeral took place on 19th September 2022. You can see that the time frame of our Queen’s passing and her State Funeral clashed badly with London’s Fashion events. I’ve been struggling to choose what to cover in my final Visual Diary for Fida. I wanted to cover the International shows, but it seemed appropriate to finish this body of work for Fida by focusing on London, where I was born and now live. I know that the Royals are not for everyone, but I like them. I think the British Royal family are great for our economy, and for keeping history relevant.

As a visual person, interested in fashion, it’s important to note what I think the passing of the Queen means. I found a picture of the Queen with the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at their father’s funeral in 1952. All 3 women are veiled in black to the hip. They are all carrying small, structured handbags and wearing matching black court shoes.The Dior look is strong, pinched waists, midi skirts and dress coats were worn by all three women. The passing of the Queen represents the passing of a style silhouette. The Queen was a living record of a time when glamorous people wore these looks in real-time. Queen Elizabeth made designer looks relevant to thousands of women as they saved up to buy the St Michael interpretation of her style on the British highstreet. I think the death of Queen Elizabeth II is the closing of a British style chapter. In Britain we had all come to love the Queen’s carefully curated wardrobe. The outfits were conservative in style, but often cheerfully bright, and always showcasing British design talent.

As a mother-of-three, I see all of the Queen’s life as the work of a mother. The Queen knew what she was passing on to her children & grandchildren, in particular Charles and William. I believe that the Queen did her job so diligently because she knew she was handing it down to her own children, and that they would have to pick up her work. It was not for her royal heirs to choose the career that they want, they must do the Queen’s work. I honestly think she was trying to lay down the best path to being a reigning monarch, for her son. The Queen knew that if we loved her, it would increase the chances of us loving her son. And we all know that first impressions count. The Queen greeted everyone in high-impact formal dress, she won us over with her strong moral high-ground and regal wardrobe. We’ll be grieving those things in Britain for a while.

I t’s well documented how much Richard Quinn owes to the Queen, in terms of his rise through the fashion ranks. The Queen famously attended Quinn’s 2018 LFW show and awarded him her first Elizabeth II Award for Design. It was Quinn’s show that closed September LFW. Quinn re-worked the entire first half of his show, in the Queen’s honour; making a brave collection of black tribute-looks worthy of a full front-row salute. Quinn’s use of the veil was the most striking part of his show, for me. His team managed to create 22 all-black looks in 10 days, each with a nod to vintage styles that the Queen loved to wear when she was young. 21 of the ‘mourning dresses’ wore a veil, the remaining one was topped by a neat black crown. The veil was a key accessory for mourning clothes until the early part of the 20th Century. It was seen as a way to shield the mourner and conceal her grief in public. There is something about the veil that isolates the wearer therefore, it socially distances them. Quinn said when the Queen died, he wanted to highlight ‘the beauty of Royalty’ which is such a sumptuous idea. It was Look 3, a beaded black duchess-satin dress, with a deep plunging neckline and tiny waist, that pulled together Queen and Quinn perfectly for me. Everyone will connect with each look differently, but this dress, worn with a huge black silk corsage and ‘point d’esprit’ net veil expresses the beauty of modern royalty perfectly. There is reference to Queen Victoria too, in the hairstyle beneath the veil. The whole look is just enough Quinn: the black lurex full-length gloves and exaggerated cleavage, and just enough Queen: the heavy beading, rich cloth and mid-length full skirt. I have tried to capture the atmosphere and the look in my printed illustration. The catwalk space was blacked out, so the look is very much black-on-black, heavy in mood and metaphor.

Erdem showed his SS23 collection on the eve of the Queen’s State Funeral. The location for Erdem’s show was the British Museum. The Museum opened it’s doors in 1759, and it’s architecture at a glance is very similar to Buckingham Palace (the front part of which was built in 1703 and called Buckingham House). So the backdrop for Erdem’s show was coincidentally appropriate for the time and mood surrounding his SS23 showcase. The white/grey columns of the British Museum were a perfect neutral canvas for Erdem’s artistic florals and hyper-feminine dresses. Bridal wear has become a big commercial hit for Erdem (and Quinn). Nine of Erdem’s looks wore a delicate, ankle-length veil, creating a kind of subliminal silhouette moving along Erdem’s catwalk. The finale of Erdem’s show was a definite tribute to the Queen, 3 looks all fashioned in black and shrouded in white lace, worn with a long black veil. It was great to see Erin O’Connor wearing one of these looks (without a veil) at the London Fashion Awards where Erdem was nominated for Best British Independent Brand.

Writing and Illustrating my diaries for Fida since June has been a pleasure. Thank you for your time and eyes on my creative work. I am grateful.

The Prints:

Quinn - Photopolymer Etching

Erdem 1 - Photopolymer Etching / Erdem 2 - 2 colour Screenprint sketchThe body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

https://www.fidaworldwide.com/collections/sophie-speyer-rca

Seeing Double

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 15:39:38 GMT

Seeing Double : Chanel Beauty

by Sophie Speyer

When I started thinking about illustrating Chanel Beauty, it was the logo that jumped out at me (as it’s carefully designed to do on all of their products). It is a beautifully simple logo, said to have been designed by Chanel herself. She was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, but was given the nickname Coco, by Parisian friends as a young adult.

The interlocking C’s are a Monogram, by definition a motif made of overlapping letters. I’m pretty sure it’s intentional that each ‘C’ is cut out of an ‘o’ making this monogram cleverly spell ‘COCO’. The origin of the logo changes across sources, some saying it was a monogram given to Coco Chanel by Chateau de Cremat in Nice, well before she opened any shops. The double-C logo that we know, was registered as a trademark once the Chanel retail business was established and is now a globally recognised symbol of a luxury French fashion house. I was interested to know that Chanel Cosmetics were trademarked in America as early as 1924, years before the fashion and accessories.

Wikipedia states ‘Cosmetics are the most accessible Chanel product.’ In the UK you can buy Chanel beauty products in Boots on your local high street; a far-cry from the retail experience you would receive in the Chanel flagship store on New Bond Street. In their black and shiny packaging, the cosmetics provide a connection point to the Chanel brand. Chanel Beauty has it’s own Instagram account; it’s story is separate from the fashion house, yet complimentary. Both parts of the business endorse each other, the beauty line enhancing the aspirational aspect of Chanel. When we buy a Chanel beauty product, we see it in our make-up bags and feel chic by association to the brand. This is commercial branding at it’s best, a triumph of graphic design and good product working together.

Chanel is quoted as saying ‘Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance’ which I love...BUT there’s something so formal about the Chanel monogram that I want to mess it up a bit! There’s also something inspiring about the ‘C’ shape being mirrored, it’s interlocking, but also back-to-back depending on how you look at it. This idea of reflection and mirroring ties in nicely with thoughts on where and how we use cosmetics, and the idea of looking inwards and outwards. For me Chanel has always been about Red lipstick. My Grandma had a Chanel lipstick and I remember the black case which revealed the gold ‘swivel & twist’ inside so that you can apply the daring red colour. Chanel made Red lipstick fashionable and it is bold! So these ideas of mirrored reflection and being bold are what I’ve tried to work into my illustrations. Thank you for your eyes here.

Bonnie Diptych Screenprint

Ink Reflection Photo Etch

Erdem: Inspiration is Everything

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:59:31 GMT

Erdem: Inspiration Is Everything.

Written and illustrated by Sophie Speyer.

When I began thinking about this piece, Queen Elizabeth was still alive. I had chosen to illustrate some of Erdem’s recent designs. I knew Erdem when I was at Royal College, his desk was behind mine during my first year at RCA. Erdem is now famous for his romantic dresses and artistic floral prints. He moved to London in 2000 to study Womenswear at RCA and when I met him Erdem was already a star. He was adored by Wendy Dagworthy and the other tutors, Erdem’s talent was palpable. I remember his design focus was pretty intense, but he was likeable, always the cheeky Canadian in the studio. He closed the 2003 Graduation Show and got offered a design job at DVF straight away. We all kind-of-knew that Erdem was going to make it.

Through some kind of solemn serendipity, Erdem’s Resort and Menswear collections for Spring 2023, connect nicely to the Queen. His inspiration for both of these collections was a Floral Designer called Constance Spry. Constance was a successful taste-maker in her day and her projects for the Royal Family made her famous. In 1937 she designed the flowers for the wedding of Edward, Duke of Windsor, to Wallis Simpson. In 1952 she was commissioned to design the flowers for the Queen’s Coronation. By happiest of coincidences for Erdem, Spry’s Floral studio was at No. 64 South Audley Street. Erdem’s store now occupies No. 70. Not knowing much about Constance, I did a bit of research, and the artwork for this entry is inspired as much by Constance Spry as by Erdem.

I can recommend listening to ‘Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Constance Spry with Shane Connolly’ on YouTube. (It’s quite long, but worth it) The information about Constance and her sculptural displays is just as interesting as Connolly’s own approach to creativity and design. Spry was a trailblazer, she saw herself primarily as a Gardener, and was the first person to bring garden flowers and vegetables into flower arranging; rather than cut-flowers grown specially for decoration. Spry’s inspiration was always her garden, which meant that her arrangements were often asymmetric and surprising in scale. In the early 20th Century she was unusual in her intuitive approach and commercial eye. According to Connolly, Constance pushed boundaries, she was surprising, and she knew what she liked. Constance had no formal training, so her inspirations informed her creativity completely. Connolly notes ‘Technique is nothing, inspiration is everything’ in the context of making visual impact in your field (which I love). This statement brings me back to Erdem.

Erdem began his own business in London in 2005. At that time, his concept of elevating floral print to near-couture level felt new. It’s important to note Erdem’s own royal success, he was appointed MBE by the Queen for his services to fashion in 2020. Like Spry, Erdem has a lot of celebrity clients. Since around 2010 Erdem has been dressing the red carpet gang in Hollywood, and some British favourites too, including the Duchess of Cambridge (now Princess of Wales). It’s probably not too much of a stretch to say that Erdem was a key influence at the start of the millennium, in making vintage florals feel modern again. In his 2 latest collections, you can see the Spry influence in terms of proportion - asymmetric shoulders, huge bows with long dramatic trains and surprising punches of Orange and Fushia in the otherwise creamy colour palette. The Womenswear Resort collection feels wearable in a wealthy, net-a-porter way. The menswear (a new departure for Erdem in 2021) feels really exciting! If you have time, watch the short video showcasing 2 men running around in fabulous knits and flower-like bow ties. Erdem’s menswear has some of his original cheekiness, while I think the Womenswear has got a bit grown-up. But his success suits him, and he’s designing clothes that people aspire to wear for their best life, which makes Erdem fashion royalty.

The Artwork: Photopolymer Etching: Erdem Resort 2023 Womenswear

Silkscreen: Erdem Resort 2023 Printed Shirt Dress

Painting: Acrylic onto Canvas: Erdem Menswear Spring 2023

WHAT DOES ADIDAS LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 14:54:42 GMT

What does Adidas look like to you?

by Sophie Speyer

The dictionary definition of Collaboration is: ‘The act of working together, especially on a shared project’ For a long time now, Fashion has used collaboration to increase revenue streams. In creative industries, good collaboration means a high chance of commercial success. I guess for me the best collaborations are when the pairing is unexpected, and ideas are generously shared to create a new hybrid that is really interesting. Back in 2004 when Stella McCartney launched her joint-venture with Adidas (designing a Women’s Performance collection) it was surprising and commercial all-at-once. All of McCartney’s taste-level and feminine colour palette was translated into wearable everyday sportswear, and it worked brilliantly (and still does). Suddenly Adidas seem to be doing more and more high-end collaborations. Balenciaga and Gucci are both owned by Kering, the French-based Global Luxury Goods Specialists. In a clever deal, Adidas has secured collaborative contracts with both Balenciaga and Gucci.

Recently I was scrolling through the Balenciaga Resort ‘23 collection and I stumbled across Demna Gvasalia’s capsule collaboration with Adidas. Please note that I love this Balenciaga collection (although it feels more A/W that Resort to me) because it is range-built down to the last stitch detail, and each piece works separately or styled with other pieces from the collection. This Balenciaga collection is highly commercial, and my eyes see silhouettes that will filter down to the highstreet for the next 3 seasons. The Adidas bit of the collection is a massive nod to the Sportswear trend that keeps growing. Demna even amplifies the Football Strip T-shirt to a new luxury level. Every piece of this Balenciaga X Adidas collaboration (which is sandwiched between couture tailoring and sequined evening gowns) is sportswear super-chic. All of it is oversized with clever pattern-cutting that makes tracksuit trousers billow and boxy jackets hang low. Is there enough Balenciaga in the pieces? Yes. Do they need the 3 stripes? Do these looks need to be Adidas branded? Does the Balenciaga X Adidas logo make these pieces cooler? I personally have a creeping feeling that the Balenciaga logo under Demna’s creative direction has enough cache. I’m not sure we need to see it through an Adidas lens.

The Gucci X Adidas Collaboration was highly anticipated, and came buzzing down the runway for AW22. Where Alessandro Michele puts the Adidas logo onto tailored suits it’s not working for me. But when he overprints the vintage Adidas Trefoil logo onto tartan something good happens. Michele is the King of luxury print and pattern mash-up, and some of that magic re-shuffle happens in the Gucci X Adidas collaboration. I think that the accessories are the best bit of this capsule. They are a little reminder that Gucci was originally a boutique for luggage. When the Adidas logo is placed on an oversized Gucci Tote or Gucci Handbag, suddenly the bags look less uptight and more backstage VIP. But the question remains the same, do the pieces in the Gucci X Adidas collection really need the 3-stripes treatment? Does the Adidas logo improve the designs? Do they bring something new? Does the collaboration amplify the best bits of both brands? For me, it’s only working in small parts. It feels counter-intuitive for me not to be enthusiastic. I love what’s happening at Balenciaga and Gucci right now. Do I think Balenciaga, Gucci and Adidas needed to make product together, not really.

All this got me to thinking what does Adidas mean to me? Adidas was originally founded by brothers Adolf & Rudolf Dassler in 1924. Together they started a business making specialist, homemade running shoes. At the end of the second world war the brothers fell out, never to be reconciled. Rudolf set up Puma, Adolf set up Adidas. The 3-stripe logo was bought from a Finnish Athletics Brand for around £1500 and 2 bottles of Whiskey in 1952! I asked my friend Bonnie to sit for me wearing vintage Adidas kit. I bought a few pieces on Depop, borrowed some Gazelles from a friend and tried to capture Adidas the way I like it. For me Adidas is for everyone. It’s good street sportswear. I think of the footwear first, Gazelles and Superstars (Shell-Toes), followed closely by the full tracksuit with a zipped jacket. I like that ordinary people can afford to wear Adidas (albeit in quite a wonky way!) The Adidas 3-stripe is often seen walking around at the foot of terrible leggings or disastrous denim...but that person thinks the triple stripe adds something cool to their look. And that’s what makes Adidas cool for me. I think the weakest part of the Adidas offer is their Accessories. Why then are they not doing a Longchamp takeover of the Pliage Bag, or a Fendi Baguette X Adidas collection? I guess I feel that collaborations need to really create newness, not just amplify logos. And in the case of Adidas, you are already aspirational through sport, don’t piggy-back onto the Runway. Thank you for your eyes here. I will be illustrating more on this topic once I get back from my holidays.

PS: That said the Adidas X Wales Bonner collection is rather good!

Fan GIrl

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 19:43:19 GMT

Fan Girl

by Sophie Speyer

I haven’t chosen Harry Styles for this week’s visual diary just because I have a huge crush on him! I made a mistake on my Instagram after seeing Harry on stage. I presumed he was wearing a Gucci jumpsuit, and I was wrong. It was a fabulous sequinned piece by Arturo Obegero. My mistake got me thinking about fashion needing to sell clothes as well as identity. Everyone wants Harry as their Brand Ambassador. It is not a new idea to sell fashion by asking celebrities to wear it. So why then is Harry Styles such a huge hit on the Runway now, and why does he connect with so many people? I think the 2 biggest reasons are that he’s a really good-looking and talented young man; and that somehow he makes fashion feel emotional. He represents a modern masculinity.

I am less interested in focusing on Harry’s cross-dressing or gender-fluid looks. Mostly because I wonder whether these are all of his choosing, or simply styled onto him because he’s a handsome clothes-horse, and menswear is beginning to diversify into womenswear? There’s no doubt that if he really hated outfits chosen for him, Harry could refuse to wear them. On some level we must trust that Harry Styles genuinely likes to wear dresses. But I don’t think fashion (or his fans) love Harry because he looks good in a frock.

I think Fashion loves Harry because he’s prepared to take risks with what he wears, and is having fun experimenting. His performances are really confident. Harry leaps around the stage, note-perfect on every track. As a performer, Harry is a high-energy extrovert. He is big on costume and being the best Showman that he can be. Harry is selling us fashion as the rock ‘n’ roll Hero. He appears to be living his best life because he can command the stage and the audience loves him...all while he’s wearing a striped sequinned jumpsuit. If you believe in yourself, and wear a striped sequinned jumpsuit, your life could be successful too.

It is well-documented that Harry found growing up in the public eye hard. I think fashion protects Harry from his fans, so that we don’t really know what kind of guy he is off-stage. When Harry plays with fashion, he’s playing with us: ‘Am I Gay?’ ‘Am I lost?’ ‘Am I freaking out?’ It’s right that we don’t truly know the answer. Because people have seen Harry Styles grow up, his fans are invested in him emotionally. Maybe what he wears is an open expression of who he is, but I’m not sure. Perhaps when Harry wears women’s clothes he’s expressing something more vulnerable? It’s certainly a contrast to the 70’s rock-glamour that we see on stage. But I’m sure Styles uses dressing up in the truest sense, making life a party with many different themes. I bet at home he’s very comfy in a tracksuit (probably a Gucci one).

I’ve made an illustration from Gucci’s 2018 Tailoring Campaign video where Harry appears at a Fish n’ Chip shop with a Chicken. It was directed by famous fashion photographer Glen Luchford, and feels full of English wit. Harry’s charm is that his good looks fall just on the line between pretty and handsome. The simplicity of the Gucci-Check dressing gown over a pin-stripe suit is charming. Watch it on YouTube, the film is delightful.

Please watch the official video for ‘As it was’ directed by Arturo Obegero. In the video he is dancing in a fabulous red Obegero jumpsuit. I took countless screen grabs from this pop video and would like to develop more of them. You can see my sketch, taken from a moment in the Barbican when he is dancing alone. I made a 5 colour screen printed and then drew over the image with Promarkers and Watercolour pencils. Screen printing just got fun again!

I also made a fairly disastrous etching of Styles wearing Molly Goddard AW22. The print sent me back to the catwalk footage of her show, and I made a photopolymer etching of the look that wore the same T-shirt as Styles did in my original inspiration. You can’t see this detail in the print, but the T-shirt was the visual link into the drawing. I love Molly Goddard, and Harry wears her well.

*NB If you type ‘Harry Styles’ into Wikipedia there is a lot to read for someone who is only 28 years old. Harry entered British culture on ITV’s X Factor. Including his time as a band member of One Direction, Harry has been performing around the world for nearly 12 years. Harry Styles is a Pro and like many others, I’m a fan.

Fashion Archive

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 07:01:28 GMT

Depicting the Bar suit by Christian Dior - 1947.

by Caroline Riches

Image Courtesy of Fida Member Caroline Riches

Why draw historical fashion?

This illustration is inspired by an Iconic photograph known to many; depicting the Bar suit by Christian Dior - 1947.

The image encompasses the central themes of the ‘New Look’. The suit delicately displays the feminine body however the tailored Jacket adds the perfect touch of structure to the overall look.

Shot in Paris, the scene couldn’t be anymore Dior. The composition is perfect to draw; the pose sets the scene at the time in history, when elegance in fashion prevailed. The skill and craftsmanship of the garments being clearly evident. I was delighted when this piece was purchased by a collector in Chicago for his ‘Dior’ themed home!

I enjoy illustrating both contemporary fashion and dresses of the past. Alongside my professional drawing practice, I am a BA (Hons) Fashion Design tutor working mainly on final collections and portfolio. I strongly believe that drawing historical fashion not only increases your awareness of the craftsmanship that goes into a garment, it really does deepen your construction and fabric knowledge. One of my favourite exhibitions was the Dior at the V&A 2019.

As a Masters Womenswear student at the Royal College of Art (1998 -2000) I would often spend time drawing historical fashion at the V&A. Whist drawing fashion staged on mannequins in cabinets, your mind is also trying to un-pick what the original 2D pattern pieces would have looked like.

I often illustrate the full figure, this is something I have finely tuned over many years. The most important aspect within my work is the clothes, although often abstract, I work hard to render fabric qualities convincingly through mixed media.

Faces are important; however, these are often secondary to my imagery and rendered very quickly. I work fairly large scale, always hand rendered with traditional media, this particular illustration is A1 in format.

I start every piece with a very quick pencil sketch then work in layers of watercolour, ink, acrylic paint and oil pastel. I sell the originals only. I want the viewer to appreciate the layering of the materials. I have produced editorial and trend illustration work in the past, however, now I primarily produce work to exhibit in an art gallery setting. I use artist quality highly pigmented media, this makes a huge difference to the final image.

I love to draw, it is part of me, I can’t help it. Generally, I draw from photographic reference, however, where possible drawing in a gallery setting or from life is wonderful, it is peaceful and you learn so much. Hopefully, my mark making gives the image a timeless quality, I also would like to convey through my historical work, that there is a sense of the contemporariness with a respect of the past. I do not want to simply copy an image exactly.

Through my teaching and academic research, I have developed sessions that utilise archived fashion. The study of historical garments and illustrations can often spark new exciting ideas particularly when mixed with the unexpected. I believe that theory should not be a separate entity in education, it should inform contemporary fashion practice. At the beginning of the first semester students learn to understand that designers at the ‘Couture’ and ‘Ready to Wear’ ateliers will look at the history of the brand, delve into the archives for inspiration to aid the development of collections that are right for now.

Now that C-19 restrictions are over, I am looking forward to taking groups once more to Museums to draw in the fashion section, with the hope they will find the same joy and inspiration that I have found.

Caroline Riches Ma RCA

Hair Lines -Priya Ahluwalia

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 07:01:04 GMT

Hair Lines by Sophie Speyer

Priya Ahluwalia

The title of Ahluwalia’s LFW SS23 Menswear collection ‘Africa is Limitless’ made me click open the images. I was aware of a buzz around her, but I didn’t know much about her designs until now. I combed the internet for Ahluwalia info and found ‘Tools of Expression - Mulberry x Ahluwalia’ a short film on YouTube about her collaboration for SS22 with Mulberry. In this film, I understood her. Ahluwalia is obsessed with Hair, and the cultural inheritance of hair type and styles. In this film she explains how the lines in African braided hair often inspire her designs. Once you know this, the persistent wavy lines on her garments, make sense.

For this Visual Diary entry, I’ve chosen to illustrate a screenshot from ‘Parts of Me’ the film Aluwalia made with Mulberry for their Accessories collection. Ahluwalia used the patterns in braided hair as inspiration for her Mulberry pieces. The film is gorgeous in every way, but particularly in it’s tone which feels like India at dusk. I made a traditional hard ground etching onto a Zinc plate & then I used Aquatint to etch tone into the illustration. Ahluwalia tries to use dead-stock fabric or re-imagined vintage garments in her collections; so I intentionally re-used the blank part of someone else’s discarded etching plate. This meant that my etching plate had a lot of ‘white noise’ or marks already, which I really like.

Ahluwalia’s inspiration is mulitcultural by virtue of being a British born woman with a Nigerian Dad and Indian Mum; she also has a Jamaican Stepfather. Her style combines London looks, Lagos Man and Indian craftsmanship. Ahluwalia is 28, her vision and voice are young. She has already won a host of awards, but for me the most significant was being chosen by Alessandro Michelle to make a film for Gucci Fest. Ahluwalia’s film is called ‘Joy’ by Samona Olanipekun. It’s extremely beautiful, and feels like an exquisite beginning to her career (which is why I guess Michelle chose to shine a light on her brand in 2018).

Artwork copyright Sophie Speyer

I’ve also made a screen print of my favourite head from the ‘Africa is Limitless’ collection. I just love the exaggerated 70s-style knit and diamante eyebrows - with the styled Fro. The words ‘Carnival is a Voice’ are taken from the Gucci Fest ‘Joy’ film. The statement is explained in her film as celebration. A celebration of all of life’s achievements, not just a carnival procession as we know it in the UK.

‘Africa is Limitless’ comes on the back of a collaboration with Paul Smith. Their collection is now available to buy, and you can see it on both of their websites. I quite like the collection, but it feels more Smith than Ahluwalia to me. In grooming her handwriting to work with his, some of the sassiness of Ahluwalia’s earlier designs feels tamed. BUT ‘Africa is Limitless’ is much more exciting! The knitwear has definitely benefited from her Paul Smith collaboration, the Intarsia designs are awesome. Of the 30 looks that came down the city garden runway, each one had a different hair style or head piece. I guess because it’s a Menswear collection, the opportunities for braiding were fewer - but the beaded fabric turbans were wonderful too.

Thank you for your eyes as always.

Artwork copyright Sophie Speyer

Ones to watch 2022

SMP19355 — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 08:22:26 GMT

Fida Instamatics - 'Ones to Watch' 2022

HOWARD TANGYE

Howard Tangye - https://www.instagram.com/howardtangyestudio/

PIET PARIS

Piet Paris - https://www.instagram.com/pietparisillustration/

CECILIA CARLSTEDT

https://www.instagram.com/cecilia_carlstedt/

STINA PERSSON

https://www.instagram.com/stina_persson_illustration/

KATARINA HOLKOVA

https://www.instagram.com/katka_holka/

Margot Van Huijkelom

https://www.instagram.com/margot_van_huijkelom/

KELLY BAILEY

https://www.instagram.com/kelly_bailey_illustration/

Jiajia Li 李佳佳

https://www.instagram.com/useless.jart/

Sophie Speyer

https://www.instagram.com/sophieskiosk/

Margarida Carvalho

https://www.instagram.com/margot_fashiondrawing/

Caroline Andrieu

https://www.instagram.com/wasteland/

Martha Zmpounou

https://www.instagram.com/marthazmpounou/

The Rose & Crown

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 11:06:42 GMT

The Rose & Crown.

Martine Rose

Hello! So the first designer that I’m illustrating here is Martine Rose...who was born in 1980 in Croydon. It’s appropriate that my first diary entry for Fida is from South London because the Printmaking Studio where I make my work is there. In brief, Rose started her own label in 2007, then she got head-hunted by Demna Gveslia in 2015 to be a Menswear Consultant at Balenciaga. Martine Rose is definitely a taste-maker, a cool-hunter, a trend-setter. So I’m illustrating her LFW SS23 Menswear Show why?

2 reasons:

1. I think it speaks to ‘the-now’ in every way

2. Her Nike collaboration Trainers!

‘Androgynous’ used to be defined in fashion as Linda Evangelista with a pixie haircut in a ballgown. Now, there are truly androgynous looks on the runway. I looked up the word in the dictionary and the 2 principle definitions are: ‘Neither clearly masculine or feminine in appearance’ and ‘Having ambiguous sexual identity’. I think so much of what we are seeing on the Runway now is about these 2 definitions.

Martine Rose’ show was held in a Vauxhall archway, harking back to Gay Underground Clubs in the 90s, with an inspirational mood of Cruising for Boys. The first look that grabbed me was a man with a kind of Dynasty-style hairdo, in a pistachio satin dress. I couldn’t work out if he was male or female until the lack of bust-darts gave him away. It’s clever to drape, but not over curves, and over a manly flat chest instead. The whole collection just looks really cool. I love the earrings worn on the card (as if straight from the shop) they remind me of early Katie Grand stuff in ID magazine (thanks to ID online for the video footage of the show). And then I spotted the trainers. They. Are. Awesome. A sort of mule/trainer/heel hybrid that look AMAZING. Worn to the show with some great ‘Rose’ logo sport socks, that I think read ‘No Hard Feelings’ around the top edge. The pun is a stroke of genius and the ‘saying’ keeps the collection British. For me, it’s all going on, and I reckon the denim ‘Barbour jacket’ will be on the UK high street before you can write down Martine Rose’ name.

I hope you like the prints:

Shoes: 5 colour screen print, made from hand-drawn positives in ink onto Trugrain. Printed in System 3 Acrylic Inks onto Heritage Rag Paper from John Purcell in South London. A3 Size

Satin Frock: Photopolymer Etching with Chine Colle. Printed in Soft Black Etching Ink from Intaglio Printmakers onto South Bank Paper from John Purcell in South London. A4 Size

Thank you for your eyes as always.

SOPHIE SPEYER SCREEN SHOTS

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 10:49:52 GMT

Sophie’s Fashion Journal - Introduction

Fida have invited me to keep a Printmaker’s Fashion Journal for the next 6 months, and share it with Fida members…which is very exciting!

How often?

I’m hoping to make at least 4 Fashion Art Prints a month to share with everyone.

The aims of my creative diary are 3-fold: Firstly to document for Fida members what interests me in fashion now. Secondly, not to try and communicate the Designer’s inspirations, but to visualise when a certain look or show connects with me. And finally, to step-up my printmaking practice using re-imagined screen shots from fashion movies and photographs. My Art is Fashion Illustration using traditional Printmaking techniques. I’m really looking forward to sharing my process in more detail with you here, and showing you why I like to illustrate through the analogue medium of printed mark-making.

I think Fashion Designers are taste-makers, and that is a very powerful thing to be in our world. We all describe our aesthetic taste to other people by what we choose to wear. I like how accessible YouTube is. I love that everyone can get a front row seat online and there is no snobbery in that space. I think my artwork starts when a fashion look makes me stop. The beginning of new work is when an image makes me look twice. I’m not a fashionista. I don’t get tickets for shows. I don’t buy Designer clothes. I am a mother-of-3 when I’m not in my studio. But l love that fashion is always in the future, and lots of it is really edgy. I like to document the exciting bits, and own my favourite pieces on paper. I prefer to draw the figure dressed, rather than undressed, and I love the shapes and pattern that fashion brings. I’m thrilled to be keeping an illustrated record for Fida over the next few months!

I draw from screen shots, mostly taken from YouTube footage and other online sites. Every screen grab is back-lit, by virtue of it being taken when my computer is ‘ON’. This has got me to thinking about other artists who work from film or photographs, artists who are also inspired by images that have an electric light. Right now I’m looking at the work of Peter Doig and Marlene Dumas (and some others too). I read that Doig wanted his work to be a ‘visual echo’ of what he was originally inspired by on-screen. That’s just a great notion to grab hold of…creating a visual echo of fashion, the same as the inspiration image, yet altered by my printmaking process. Marlene Dumas’ work is a painterly masterclass. I’m not bothered about it’s meaning so much, I just love how she paints. I like her buzzy marks, that suggest movement under the skin or around the model.

I hope you’ll follow along on this printed journey. Thank you for your eyes as always.

photo credit: Sophie Speyer RCA library