“I think that dance between the artist and the viewer is where the magic lies.” Nuno da Costa

“A self-taught artist, Nuno began developing his stylish and evocative drawings at an early age, when his love of all things fashion and art was already apparent. One of his earliest memories is lying on the living room floor watching The Clothes Show and drawing a model in a red Valentino dress as she strode past on the catwalk.

Nuno’s approach is built on three main tenets – solid drawing skills, in-depth knowledge of fashion, and an ever-evolving exploration of traditional art materials such as gouache, watercolors, inks pastels, and pencil which helps keep his work interesting and versatile whilst always retaining its clarity and unique identity. 

Nuno has a very individual style. His drawings follow beautifully strong lines with an artist’s eye for colour and texture. Whether it’s his stylishly simple black line work or his more detailed colour illustrations, Nuno’s art holds the viewer’s attention through its sensitivity, grace and pure beauty. ”

https://www.windlelondon.com

Part of an interesting interview from https://fashionunited.nz/

“The pandemic changed many industries, for better or worse. Do you think it has changed fashion illustration’s fortunes in any way?

In some ways, yes.  I think the pandemic has shown the world how fragile systems are.  How things that we have always relied upon and taken for granted can be upended and pulled out from under us.  It has taught us the value of time and humanity.  It has hopefully also taught us the value of artisans, including illustrators.  That when systems and logistics failed or faltered, human beings and artisans were resilient and stepped up to fill the void in all kinds of ingenious and innovative ways.   When you can’t ship clothes, models, and teams across the world because the environment, circumstances, or budgets don’t allow it, illustration offers a wonderful and creative solution. “ 

The whole interview you can find at https://fashionunited.nz/news/fashion/leading-fashion-illustrator-nuno-da-costa-discusses-his-success/2021052516382

SOO JOO PARK BY NUNO DA COSTA “This bridal look for Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2016 made me feel like an otherworldly creature; I knew it was a special moment walking down the runway in this striking exquisite look. It had the quintessential whimsicality of Jean Paul and I felt honored that he chose me to wear it. The panels of pleated ribbons in the corset matched the headpiece that wrapped around my face and accentuates the beautiful frosted eyelashes and red flower petal lips by makeup artist Sam Bryant.”

… and some of this amazing artist’s incredible work which takes you on the journey of fashion dreamland.

Some image selection of Nuno da Costa’s latest work “The Sustainable Fashion Glossary by Condé Nast Condé Nast taps Nuno Da Costa to conceptualize and illustrate visuals that capture the essence and emotion of each theme in The Sustainable Fashion Glossary.”  www.nunodacosta.com

It is a true example of how an artist with his vision and with his unique visual presentation can bring people’s attention to the importance of global issues.

Lagos-born and based designer Kenneth Ize is reinterpreting traditional West African fabrics and Nigerian craft with his namesake label that he founded in 2013. Ize is a LVMH Prize 2019 finalist.

Ize grew up in Austria and studied fashion and design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Upon graduation in 2013, he launched his eponymous label at Lagos Fashion Week but took a two-year hiatus while doing an MA at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. The designer relaunched his brand for Spring/Summer 2016.

Kenneth Ize

Working from his studio in the Lagos suburb of Sabo Yaba, Ize collaborates with artists and design groups across Nigeria in Kwara, Kogi and Lagos, as well as supporting a small community of weavers local to Lagos. Ize is also influencing the creative arts curriculum in local schools to create traditional fashion.

Kenneth Ize SS21

“We’re reviving, reinterpreting and giving new context to artisan techniques that have given meaning to West African identity,” Ize told The New York Times in May 2019.

Kenneth Ize SS21  Ize’s signature handwoven checks – made from a traditional Nigerian fabric called Asoke – the fashion press came to realise that this is not a star in the making, but one already beamed high in the sky.

 “Ize’s signature handwoven checks – made from a traditional Nigerian fabric called Asoke – the fashion press came to realize that this is not a star in the making, but one already beamed high in the sky.” 10magazine.com https://www.10magazine.com/womenswear/kenneth-ize-ready-to-wear-ss21/

In 2019, the brand introduced womenswear and currently counts Ssense, Browns and Machine-A among its stockists. Ize was a finalist for the LVMH Prize 2019 and a joint winner of the Arise Fashion Week Award for “Designer of the Year.”

Kenneth Ize Fall20

“When I think about what chic is I think firstly of style. What is stylish to one person may not be stylish to another yet style is something we all crave. It is very hard to pinpoint but I think that people who are chic know they are chic. I believe that chicness is something you know when you see it and style is the one thing people aspire to having. When you see someone who has a certain elegance and style, it is undeniably chic. It’s a relaxed glamour.”

 David Downton is a London based fashion illustrator famous for his portraits of models, Erin O’Connor, Lily Cole and Linda Evangelista. He has been drawing fashion illustration at Paris Haute Couture since 1996 and worked on illustration for Tiffany & Co, Harrods and some of the big labels in Europe.

“The illustration I have created for The Chic Buzz Blog is an illustration of a woman, one who epitomises the international spirit of Chic Outlet Shopping® and with whom, I hope, there is a familiarity.  She of course is not a real person, she’s an imaginary person but I had a clear idea of what she would be. I knew she had to be chic, European and generic in the sense that she needed to portray to many people the idea of chic.”
 David Downton

“When I was creating her I had a very different approach than to when I draw fashion illustrations or portraiture. My fashion illustrations are very much about the detail – the neckline of a dress, the drape of the fabric – and with portraiture it is easier still to suggest the spirit of style, because it is real and exists in my subject. I have found that the women who are the objects of my most successful drawings are of course beautiful, but they also have character, personality and individuality. Their strength is their personal style and how that comes across.”
David Downton