It looks like paper is making a comeback, with illustrations, scrapbooking, and paper dolls finding their way into the world of fashion. The latest re-imagination of the medium comes in the form of a collaboration between Korean-born, Sydney-raised illustrator Jaesuk Kim and Farfetch.
Kim has created five exclusive illustrations for the retailer that focus on pre-fall collections from Marni, Fendi, Adam Lippes, Dion Lee, and Roksanda. And the exciting new prints, opulent textures, and diverse colours make us even more eager to get our hands on the season’s latest offerings.
We caught up with the emerging artist on international inspiration, social media, and how he fashioned the illustrations out of the collections.
S/ Magazine: How have your international experiences living in Seoul, Singapore, and Sydney shaped your illustrations?
Jaesuk Kim: Having the opportunity to live in Seoul and Sydney has both shaped my work and provided me with an international audience. I am now fully based in Seoul, and regularly attend amazing events in the fashion industry. To take advantage, I started bringing my SusuPaperDolls (a cut out of my illustrations) to events and photographing them to depict the happenings within the fashion world in Seoul!
How did you incorporate the essence of each designer into your illustrations for Farfetch?
Having previously worked as a fashion art director, I approached this project for Farfetch much in the same way I would a fashion campaign. My typical illustration process begins with an in-depth research into the collection and the designer’s inspiration. I then look at past visuals for further idea development. For this collaboration with Farfetch, I studied the tone, attitude and the colours of the various brand lookbooks and interpreted them in my own way.
How does social media influence your work and career?
Social media has a big influence on both my work and my career! I use social media to communicate with my clients and to those that appreciate my artwork. Most of my recent commercial work has had a digital focus – recent projects range from a short animation clip to celebrate a store-opening to covering the behind the scenes excitement of the fashion scene. My work has also been hugely influenced by social media. Recently, I’ve been expanding my medium to adapt to different features available on social media channels. Gif and short animation clips are a perfect example of this.
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The Latest Collaboration in Fashion Has Us Doodling
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