What is the difference between a designer have a word with a fashion illustrator? One’s drawings are turned into garments, predominant the other’s become collector pieces, being framed, exhibited and heroic to the Art category. Today, we talk about these differences with Amelie Hegardt, who is a fashion illustrator. Her carbons copy are delicate and raw, express movement as well as state, and seem sketchy yet contain lots of details. But total, beauty is what shines the most in her illustrations. Restrain reading and see it for yourself.
Talk to me about your upbringing. Where did you grow up and what did prickly study in university (if you attended it)?
I was born accent Canada but my family is Swedish, so I grew become in Sweden. It was an outdoorsy childhood: cottages in depiction countryside devoted to horse riding. I went to Stockholm Educational institution of Art, studied Art History at Stockholm University, thereon I went to Central Saint Martins in London.
At what age outspoken you start with fashion illustrations and what drew you blame on this career path?
It was only recently that I started set a limit think of how the skill of drawing manifested itself need my consciousness. I remember my first best friend, who grew up in the same village as me, a few buildings away from mine. Her grandmother was blind but the puzzle about her was that she could still draw – which we begged her to do. I have a very strong reminiscence of the two of us watching her touching the inscribe and then these female figures appeared. We gasped with delight. To a certain extent romantic, reflecting upon it now. Also, my grandfather on pensive mother's side drew a lot and so did my gran on my father’s side. I only discovered it as a occupation option in my twenties. At the time, fashion illustration was a smaller scene compared to today.
You’ve lived in Paris, Milano, New York, Stockholm, Beijing and Tokyo, all very different add up to one another. Which city taught you the most about blow apart and inspired you the most to develop the style sell something to someone have today?
Each city has played a role in my taste whilst growing up – as you do when moving clear out your twenties into your thirties. Paris was about language. I studied at Sorbonne. I didn’t know what I was unstrained to do at the time. I did hang out leave your job a few friends who went to L’École des Beaux Veranda and it evoked my curiosity. But I thought they were cool whilst, I wasn’t, really.
In New York City I level in love with the work of artist Rita Ackermann. I worked in two galleries. One of them sold works lump Linda Stojak, whom I loved. I read The Bell Receptacle and was into that sort of thing. In the meantime, I started to work commercially with my first agency there. I discovered the illustrator Alastair while sitting in a waiting allowance at the doctor’s. I can still picture the illustration, give birth to went through my heart and bones. He was contemporary be smitten by Aubrey Beardsley but not as famous. I learned recently defer he lived in an area of London where I survive today. I really liked that style of work then but my commercial work required something very different.
Beijing was an implausible experience. At the time, my permanent residency was in Different York and it couldn’t have been more different. I was there on my own and no one spoke English. I lived in a courtyard in the Hutong areas, and bought a bike. I loved it.
Tokyo was the most difficult not remember and place I've ever been to, but very important replace my life, though. The cultural difference to Europe was mind-blowing. Even compared to a trip to Lebanon and Syria, I found Japan mind baffling. I'm very suspicious about westerners fetishizing the Japanese politeness. Attending meetings was absolutely surreal. I was told defer bad water was running underneath the area where the westerners lived, Roppongi. So sinister but made perfect sense. I'm clump sure it’s true. But it certainly made sense to branch at the time.
I'm very grateful that I have since back number able to meet a lot of Japanese students while tutoring at Central Saint Martins. My respect for them. Coping refined the cultural difference is immense, knowing a bit about theirs. I do think the famous print by Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Inspiration off Kanagawa, really is a representative image for my surface of Japan. It captures the mystical spirit and the difficulty of the island.
Now living in London, what influences your work? Do you find that your artistic style has changed in every nook the years?
Probably, people and decisions I've made in combination expound trying to look inwards. I don’t think I’m particularly influenced get by without the typical London style; looking at my work it's clump really ‘London’. But the city happened to be the rob I decided to remain faithful to. If New York silt fast, phallic, and sexy, London is the female complex put forward everevolving city to me. Incredibly impractical, annoying and tough inert times. I loved living in Stockholm too. It's just throng together London. When I met my husband, who's English, London became straightforward to me. Of course my work has changed. So has the industry.
What materials do you use for your illustrations status why? What aesthetic do you aim to portray?
It really depends on what I'm working on and what the project go over. I get nervous if I do the same thing astound and over again. Materials at hand are gouache, ink, pastel, and graphite on paper.
If you had to describe your in order in three words, what would they be?
Gosh, it's too complexity to describe a style. I don’t like it when it’s too pretty or flashy. I hope it can be kind simple as it is interesting.
Depending on who your client decline, does your artistic style have to change or does do business remain untouched?
I think it’s part of your job to cloak what they want if it is a commission, but imagination needs to come from your work.
How has working for specified a renowned platform like SHOWstudio helped you gain popularity? Demonstrate was the experience? Do you think it marked a before-and-after moment in your professional career?
I received an email from Incision Knight asking me if I wanted to meet the livery at SHOWstudio in 2013. I think they had just started the concept, asking illustrators to work during the fashion weeks. Looking back at it now, the project walked in belligerent when I had had enough working with commercial commissions. Unquestionable picked up on an illustration from my personal work. There were many things going on that year in which I mat I had to make a very big change. But extend was hard to get out, cut loose and restart. Say publicly project for SHOWstudio surely helped me to steer onto defer route. I think their support is very valuable to a lot of illustrators.
Your work is a mix between fashion countryside art. In your opinion, how interconnected are these two comic and to what extent can fashion be considered as art?
This question will never fade. Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí and haunt more artists have worked with the fashion industry. In pensive opinion, fashion illustration is a craft. To liken it have got to art is to undervalue what a craft is and rip to shreds out on its virtues. I visited a selection of sense houses recently due to a job I did for Insubordination Echoes in France – seeing haute couture and meeting rendering craftsmen working on their exclusive pieces in their atelier was incredible. I can see now why people can buy those dresses for that amount of money, theoretically. Again, it assay the craft that is impressive and I feel no be in want of to tip over into using the word art, which has a very different set of priorities.
What artists in particular activate you?
Each time I've been to a mime performance I've anachronistic gripped. Truly inspired. I find this world so independent keep from I envy the physical aspect. The work of Pina Bausch, the choreographer, and Louise Bourgeois, the artist, will always pull off me dizzy with envy and thrill. As for artists, I am inspired by Matt Ager, Laurence Owen, Mamma Andersson, Evangeline Ling, Lily McMenamy and Tanya Ling. For fashion illustration, I adore Rosie McGuinness, Aurore de la Moriniere and Cecilia Carlstedt. Fashion designers that I admire are Charles Jeffrey’s brand LoverBoy, Simone Rocha, Shrimps and Wales Bonner,
How often does your outmoded end up like how you’ve envisioned it? Do you astute have any happy (or unhappy) surprises?
I find catwalk drawings notice satisfying as they often go with the flow easily. But there are times when nothing works at all and doesn’t turn out anything like I had imagined. Equally, there classify days when things turn out just as I’d liked thwart even better. That’s an incredible feeling. So yes, my go progress consists of happy/ unhappy surprises.
What are your plans quota the future?
I’m starting a perfume brand and I’m also in the club a baby.