I've made this decision because I already have an Anna Higgie Illustration Facebook page, and an Instagram account with both personal photos and pictures of my studio and my work. Therefore, I don't really see the need for a blog anymore! I might come back here and start posting again sometime, but I need to figure out the best use of the format...
So it's bye for now, but for updates on what I'm up to, please check my Facebook & Instagram!
This is a series of portraits I've just completed for the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, which is Italian for the National Institute of Italian Fashion. All of the illustrations were seen alongside interviews published online on the Camera Moda website.
"The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion) is the non profit making Association which disciplines, co-ordinates and promotes the development of Italian Fashion.
The Association represents all the highest cultural values of Italian Fashion. It aims to protect, co-ordinate and strengthen its image, both in Italy and abroad."
Click here to read more about the Camera Moda.
The portraits include: Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Andrea Panconesi, Andrea Pompilio, Angela Missoni, Angelo Flaccavento, Beppe Angiolini, Dean and Dan Caten, Fabiana Giacomotti, Gabriele Verratti, Lavinia Biagiotti, Renata Molho, Renzo Rosso, Simone Marchetti, Stefano Beraldo and Tomaso Trussardi.
They are all hand drawn in pencil and ink, with digital colour added. Scroll down to see some of the portraits in more detail, and find out more about the process.
DEAN & DAN CATEN
Interview from Camera Moda with Dean and Dan Caten, of Dsquared:
"A mix of formal and streetwear that’s winning over the younger generation. Headquarters in Via Ceresio with a new top floor panoramic restaurant. For twins Dean and Dan Caten, designers of DSquared2, fashion is the reflection of a cosmopolitan spirit, a melting pot of knowledge and creativity transcending boundaries. Just like them: born in Canada, living in London, made in Italy. Just a few hours before their runway show tomorrow at 9.30 am, we interviewed them exclusively for our website."
What is a fashion designer today? Your personal definition.
A fashion designer is a person who knows how to keep ahead of the trends, who can see the signs and knows in advance what will be cool in a few months. Today, being a fashion designer means so many things, even knowing how to have fun with styling.
Working as a duo and consolidating a creative vision. Do you ever disagree? How do you split up your roles?
We are more than a duo: we are identical twins and this definitely helps us in our professional life. The creative process is never interrupted. Sometimes we disagree but when something doesn’t convince either of us, we prefer to find an alternative solution.
Of the social networks, which one do you think has the most potential for growth?
We’re very active on social networks, we have a Facebook profile and we are constantly tweeting. Our fans like to follow us even in our private lives. Out of the social media, maybe the one with the most potential for growth at the moment is Instagram because it communicates through images. It’s a similar language to ours and is easy and immediate.
Ceresio 7 looks out over the skyscrapers of new Milan. In the geography of the city, which areas are the most interesting at the moment?
One of the most interesting areas now is definitely Porta Nuova. The buildings of new Milan have changed the skyline of the city making it more interesting. With the restoration of the former Enel building and the opening of Ceresio 7, we also feel that we have contributed to the revival of this area rich in history and tradition.
What would you like to see in the future of fashion, and Italian fashion?
We expect to see a great deal, especially from the younger generation. To our youngest contributors, we always say: The sky’s the limit! Believe in your dreams and you will achieve them.
ANGELA MISSONI
Interview from Camera Moda with Angela Missoni:
"Patchwork and colour patterns, ethnic designs e art-déco abstract features. All so beautiful that they end up in the permanent collection at the MoMA in New York. Missoni knitwear is a style known and used as a reference worldwide. And Angela who's been the brand's creative director since 1996, captured its legacy with passion and innovative talent."
Genuine beauty interprets the spirit of the time. Is this a definition that you share?
The formal, aesthetic concept of silent beauty in accordance with the spirit of the time. I do not think therefore that that’s beauty instead, I rather see it as a quality that is intrinsically linked to the essence of being, to its own spirit, intelligence and personality. Real beauty therefore goes beyond ages, while beauty associated with the outward appearance or the exterior can have a reference to time.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration is simply unpredictable: it is an experience or a memory that come back, a film, a photograph or a work of art, an image, a sound or a shade, a trip or a vista. It is a chain of suggestions, an unpredictable re-design of creative imagination and / or unusual approach of what is known. The mosaic of images that make up the board of a fashion designer mirrors his or her mental process after all, the process of his or her associations is often not linear.
Major brands have signed collections for important low-cost chains. How do you view these partnerships?
Positive as they confer emphasis to the brand; I think they are excellent means of communication and transmission of fashion.
Being a woman in a business world. Are there still stereotypes and challenges?
Stereotypes sadly persist and there are still many challenges to face, but women seem determined and project themselves into the future and of course, especially over the last forty years, have stated their talent and consolidated their power in the business world. I believe, however, that nothing must be taken for granted so better information is crucial to raise awareness. It is still desirable that new laws are made and enforced to protect women’s rights in life and at work.
What would you like to see in the future of fashion, and Italian fashion in particular?
Cohesion, a community of intent, complicity. More space to the ideas and initiatives put forward by the new generations. More initiatives and structures that make the interaction, consultation, study of the fashion world possible; we need a much more complex and detailed system than what you one imagines from the outside, which should share andbequeath the younger with a wealth of experience and expertise.
BEPPE ANGIOLINI
The first in a series of portraits of luminaries within the Italian world of Fashion, commissioned by the National Institute of Fashion, Milan, Italy.
Art Direction by Boiler Corporation.
Inspiration (taken from Pompilio's RTW Collection)
Sketches
Male / Female versions of the design for the upcoming BODYWORK night at The Exchange, Bristol
"Whether on the edge of a curb outside Lincoln Center as the brightly accessorized masses traverse the crosswalks, or sitting front row snapping only the looks that interest him — during Fashion Week, the New York Times' veteran photographer, Bill Cunningham, appears to be everywhere all at once. In fact, he is so much a part of the landscape, that it just wouldn't feel like Fashion Week without his signature blue painter's smock and ancient SLR camera. So this season, to honor of the man who started this whole street-snapping craze, the Cut asked eight illustrators to draw this style legend in action."
- New York magazine
"Because we all get dressed for Bill."
- Anna Wintour
In January the New York magazine asked me to create a portrait of the wonderful and charming Bill Cunningham, street fashion photographer extraordinaire. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity - I am such a fan of the man, ever since watching this superb documentary about the work he does on the streets of New York City daily, since he was a young man in 1960s.
I used graphite and a protractor to draw Bill's portrait, and used a Pentel ink pen to draw the people all around him. I then scanned the drawing and applied colour using a Wacom pen and Photoshop.
Original source photo of Bill I used for the illustration
Inspiration & Other source photos
I'm pleased to announce that alongside my New York agency Art Department, I'm now also represented by Rarekind agency, London!
Over the last year or so I have been working on an ongoing project with Lisa Comfort, owner of SEW OVER IT, 'a lovely sewing cafe in Clapham, London'.
Lisa's Story:
"Despite being teased for my “uncool” hobby, I persevered and carried on sewing. After studying at the London College of Fashion I worked for British designer Bruce Oldfield and then bridal couture designer Phillipa Lepley.
I set up Sew Over It in a response to the growing feeling that sewing was becoming a lost skill. I hope that I can pass on my passion for sewing through Sew Over It and encourage more people in London to pick up a needle and thread!
Since opening Lisa has published her first book, Sew It, Wear It, Love It – an intro to sewing for beginners. She has also appeared on the Alan Titchmarsh Show and Kirstie’s Vintage Home. And finally, she was shortlisted in Red’s Hot Women Awards in the Woman to Watch category."
"I have created a sewing paradise for all of you to enjoy. Take classes, get advice, get inspiration, make friends, drop into take a look, browse the classes page. Tea and cake have always played an important role in my sewing projects so I have married the two and created a sewing café where you can work on your projects whilst munching on some cake and drinking tea!"
The project is ongoing but I thought it was about time I did a blog post about it to show the work I've done so far.
So far I have created four illustrations for the covers of the dressmaking kits. They are all in a vintage 50s/60s style, inspired by old Vogue sewing kits from that era. I've also designed the packaginf for all the sewing kits, and made illustrations for the boxes of Tie and Knicker making kits. Scroll down to see all the various bits and bobs....
An illustration I created recently for German political magazine Cicero.
The brief was to create a portrait of the politician Horst Seehofer as a 'supercilious king of bavaria'. Unfortunately this one won't get printed, due to a last minute decision, but it was fun to make and I'm happy with it anyway!
"Horst Lorenz Seehofer (born 4 July 1949) is a German politician (CSU). He served as the Federal Minister for Health and Social Security from 1992 to 1998 and as the Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in the cabinet of Angela Merkel from 2005 to 2008. In October 2008 he became chairman of the CSU and Minister-President of Bavaria." (from Wikipedia)
Sketches:
Reference images:
This is an editorial illustration I completed a few weeks ago for Essence magazine in the USA.
"ESSENCE is the premiere lifestyle, fashion and beauty magazine for African-American women. With its motivating message, intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone, compelling and engaging editorial lineup and vibrant and modern design, ESSENCE is the definitive voice of today's dynamic African-American woman. ESSENCE speaks directly to a Black woman's spirit, her heart and her unique concerns. Every month African-American women rely on ESSENCE for editorial content designed to help them move their lives forward personally, professionally, intellectually and spiritually. Sections such as Work & Wealth, Healthy Living, and Looks We Love cover topics that focus on career and finance, health and lifestyle, and fashion and beauty and share an intimate connection with readers. In 2008, ESSENCE won 12 New York Association of Black Journalists awards in the Investigative, General Feature, International, Business/Technology, Science/Health, Arts & Entertainment, Personal Commentary, Public Affairs and Online categories. The publication has a monthly circulation of 1,050,000 and a readership of 8.5 million. The first issue of ESSENCE hit the newsstands in May 1970, with a circulation of 50,000."
The illustration I made was for an article written about 'family secrets'. The article explored the story and experience of a woman who grew up without her real father, a man who denied her existence.
Reference:
Work in progress shots for my ACE hotel London murals! How exciting - the illustrations have been printed out and wheat pasted to the walls of rooms 103 & 104. Now all that remains is for me to come to the hotel in person (this weekend), and add the finishing touches by hand.
Can't WAIT to come and stay at the gorgeous ACE, and lucky for me, it coincides with Frieze weekend! One of my favourite art events of the year...
Posts
All Comments
