// Vivienne Westwood shoes – editorial work

“London’s most iconic fashion superstore, Selfridges, presents a whistlestop tour through the archives of Britain’s most iconic shoe designer, Dame Vivienne Westwood” – Fashion feature written by Matt Bramford for Amelia’s Magazine. Check it out here.

My illustration for the article

For the record, I had such a great time drawing this little character. These illustration projects are just the best!

Some of the shoes from the exhibition

Photography by Matt Bramford

// Monday Scribble

Lady in the water

Fine point markers on recycled turquoise paper.

// These days I’ve been thinking about

…Vivienne Westwood.

I am working on a fun little illustration piece for a Vivienne Westwood article and can’t stop thinking about her.

Here was an erotic, highly politicized artist who wanted to dress differently and ended up creating a whole new style and influencing what we wear, for the last thirty years. From Johnny Rotten, to a furious Margaret Thatcher in the eighties, to a stumbling Naomi Campbell (the model famously fell down the catwalk whilst wearing one of Westwood’s towering high heels in a Paris Fashion show), to Carrie Bradshaw… Dame Vivienne Westwood turned rebellion into an art form.

To me, her clothes seem to be the result of sudden explosions of inspiration. Instinctive, euphoric and uncontrollable creativity. – But there’s gorgeous beauty in chaos, and softness and femininity too. And I feel humbled by this force of nature that is Vivienne Westwood.

Photograph from the “ADN de la Mode” Editorial (Vogue Paris – Aug 09) by photographers Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin

// Esses ultimos dias eu ando trabalhando numa ilustração para um artigo sobre a Vivienne Westwood e não consigo parar de pensar nela. O histórico, a mistura de influências, o fato que ela foi a estilista dos Sex Pistols e hoje em dia tem o título de Lady oferecido pela rainha Elisabeth, são dessas contradições que só parecem ser possíveis de acontecer na Inglaterra. Pra mim ela representa a rebeldia que deu certo, que começou marginalizada e depois virou arte. Uma espécie de Picasso do mundo da moda.

Mas ignorando toda essa parte que faz dela uma personalidade e olhando apenas para as roupas, a impressão que eu tenho é que ocorreu ali uma manifestação súbita de inspiração, uma explosão de criatividade que não foi domada, não foi estudada e é instintiva. Nada impede que o processo tenha sido exatamente o contrário. Eu não conheço a designer, não estava presente em nenhum momento de criação (infelizmente), mas esse é o feeling que as peças deixam em mim. Surgem como um fenômeno e ficam presas na memória.

// Prangsta Girls – editorial work

So happy! – I have just published this illustration in Amelia’s Magazine for their latest article on Prangsta.

Prangsta is a costumier studio & boutique based in south London. They create really extravagant dresses and burlesque costumes from vintage garments and leftover fabrics. Quite a brilliant idea in my opinion. – I actually remember when they started because my university was just round the corner from the shop.  They always had these amazing tulle skirts, and masks, and angel wings on display. I was always popping in to see what was going on.

Images by photographer Christian Bogdan, taken from the Prangsta fashion gallery here.

// New illustration for Fashion Editorial

This illustration has just been published in the fashion section of Amelia’s Magazine. This time, it was for an interview with London based cult couturier Ziad Ghanem and his Autumn-Winter collection presented at the last London Fashion week. – I was asked to illustrate one of his couture dresses.

Ghanem’s work is very theatrical and quite out of this world, but it’s also beautifully crafted and detailed. I can only imagine how amazing his show must have been.

Check out the interview here.