Sarah Plaumann

Ink on watercolour paper

This page: Hermes New York fashion Week 2021

Opposite page: Hermes New York fashion Week 2021

SARAH PLAUMANN

Elements and possibilities of design

When did you first get into drawing? I can‘t remember it exactly, but already at school it became clear that painting and drawing suited me very much and gave me a lot of pleasure. Since then it has been a part of my life.

Why did you choose to make fashion part of your inspiration? Fashion is a great inspiration for me because it is so versatile. The elements and possibilities of design come into their own here. The relationship to people is also very important to me. Fashion is a very diverse and exciting art in its own right.

What is your particular working day as a creative? I have set myself fixed times. I paint every day if possible. It starts at 9 o‘clock in the morning and sometimes ends late at night around 10 o‘clock. You can learn creativity by always keeping at it. Painting often requires a lot of time and work, so a working day is usually longer than with other jobs. Because of the fixed times during the week, you are usually very productive and manage to complete the projects. If a day doesn‘t work at all, you have to accept that in the creative field, then I put down the pen (only if a deadline allows it) and continue the next day with new energy.

What tools do you use when creating your images? I always prefer to work with very traditional painting techniques. I only use digital tools at the end to clean and purify the paintings. Drawing ink and acrylic as well as collages are my favourite tools. I like to see the materialist in a painting. Here a work can be given a lot of expression. Collages are also a part of my work, because they allow a lot of space and variations. Mixing different materials is also an exciting field for my work. Who are what has influenced you over the years as an artist? I am influenced by different things, it can be a pattern, nature and different people. In art it is the impressionists and expressionists. I love this period of art with its colours, shapes, everything comes to life and blossoms in a new light.

“Drawing ink and acrylic as well as collages are my favourite tools. I like to see the materialist in a painting. Here a work can be given a lot of expression.

Collages are also a part of my work, because they allow a lot of space and variations. Mixing different materials is also an exciting field for my work.” What advice do you have for younger artists looking to be part of this industry? Well, if there‘s one thing I‘ve learned, it‘s that you always have to keep at it as an illustrator. You should keep trying until you find your style, which can sometimes take a while. Be patient with yourself and your work. When the time comes, you should follow through and not let yourself be distracted. Sometimes others might not like it, but you shouldn‘t let that get in your way. That is normal. Always keep at it and believe in yourself.

Also you should constantly develop your work, it never really stops.

What are you drawing today? Today I paint for Bulgari on behalf of Fida. It is a piece of jewellery that I am illustrating.

This Page & Opposite page: Bulgari x Fida 2021

WILEW x JO.LAYLA

“Joanna, through her visual interpretation, has added an element of storytelling to our brand. She has captured the WILEW muse beautifully and brought her to life. This in itself has been inspiring.”

Where did the name Wilew come from and how did the brand develop its vision? WILEW is a collaboration between myself, Lauren White, and my partner Cat Lewis. The name is an abbreviated amalgamation of our surnames. Both myself and Cat have design backgrounds, in fashion and graphics/art direction respectively.

Having worked extensively with vintage (pieces) as a fashion designer myself, I have developed a deep appreciation for quality, and timelessness. Cat has an impeccable eye for colour, form and composition, and so WILEW is the result of our skills combined. The creation and development of the brand together is driven by our innate sensibility within our fields of work and interests. As an art curator for fashion, how have you seen fashion becoming more critical with its vision and deeper connection to art as a practice and discipline? Fashion is entering a much more creative phase. This may sound ironic, as the term ‘fashion’ itself should instantly prompt the notion of creativity, however over the past ten years or so, we have observed the industry becoming increasingly commercialised and the creativity being somewhat lost. High street giants at one end, and high end, overtly ‘branded’ offerings at the other, have been key drivers in this.

But the landscape is changing, and consumers are wanting more. Something more interesting and individual. Something also, with sustainability at its core. This, for us, is where art is re-emerging in all forms; be it a vintage piece, a reworked piece, or a piece of “wearable art”, the shift toward human connection, story telling and craft is becoming more evident in the output.

You have numerous channels for exposure, Depop being a major part of your brand’s vision and backbone for ecommerce. Why Depop?...and now instagram and pinterest?

This Page: “We are totally captivated by the latest dreamy illustrations @ joannalayla has created with our products.” Its been an absolute honour working with a talent like Joanna, her beautiful hand fits our aesthetic like a glove!

We are always so excited to see how she captures our products and to share with you all

Social Media Live feed. This Page: 90s Lime Green Mini Satchel Bag beautifully depicted by fashion illustrator @joannalayla

Opposite page: Legs and cowboy boots for days.... These green and black beauties have now sold but lots more to come this AW seaso illustration as part of a series by the super talented @joannalayla

As a small business, platforms such as Depop and Etsy have allowed us to present our brand instantly to an international audience.

With the curated nature of our offering, this wider reach has been important for us in connecting with a broader customer base who are interested in seeking out unique pieces.

Instagram is our visual mood board; it’s where we not only showcase some of our product, but where we play with ideas, and offer some insight into the ‘WILEW world”.

When selecting Joanna Layla, who has been a big part of Fida and an artist we recognise as important in fashion art going forward, explain how you found her and selected her to work with you? We came across Joanna’s work on Instagram and were instantly captivated. Her use of bold silhouette and colour are elements which are intrinsic to the WILEW brand aesthetic, and so we just knew we had to have her capture some of our pieces. Has the response to the work been rewarding and how will you develop this relationship? It has been very rewarding, both for us in seeing Joanna’s interpretation of the products and subsequently seeing the reaction from our followers. Our plans are ever-evolving, and can certainly see an opportunity to develop our relationship with Joanna in line with this in the future. Where do you see the relationship growing for fashion artists/ illustrators in the future? How do you think they could get more recognition and support from brands and more projects like yours? With remote working becoming more mainstream, and consumer demands for sustainability and the reduction of carbon footprint, we see an opportunity for Fashion Artists/ Illustrators to offer an alternative means to the traditional photoshoot; allowing brands to consider these factors in their presentation of collections and campaigns. What value does the illustrator bring to the brand and where else could you imagine illustrators getting involved with fashion brands? Put simply; Individuality. The ability to capture an essence, add an element of flair, and the ability to, quite literally, create new faces for a brand is the unique strength of the fashion illustrator. Armed with these tools, the potential for illustrator and brand collaboration is endless across many channels.

“We feel that Fashion Illustration has a bright future, this has only been accelerated by the pandemic. We now find ourselves living in a very different working world, and as a result of this people are craving a sense of escapism – to be drawn into an alluring story that bypasses reality. What better medium than illustration to capture this? “ We love your work at Wilew and wondered how you found out about Fida and what is most interesting about fashion illustration/art for the future? We discovered FIDA through our work with Joanna. We feel that Fashion Illustration has a bright future, this has only been accelerated by the pandemic. We now find ourselves living in a very different working world, and as a result of this people are craving a sense of escapism – to be drawn into an alluring story that bypasses reality. What better medium than illustration to capture this? We also feel that individuality and the desire for a unique point of view, particularly amongst Millennials and Gen-Z, are driving brands to review their creative output. This provides endless opportunities for fashion artists and illustrators, which is both interesting and exciting. Gone are the days of the carbon copy!

How has lock down affected your business in a positive way and enhanced your way to think differently during the period of isolation? Lockdown has really helped us to re-focus and re-connect. Our initial WILEW offering included clothing alongside the accessories and footwear, however the time allowed us to reflect and consider our direction, and for AW20 we decided to hone this. We have since seen the brand experience its most successful period to date.

https://www.depop.com/wilew

In an era reliant on photography, how has this collaboration enhanced your vision? Joanna, through her visual interpretation, has added an element of storytelling to our brand. She has captured the WILEW muse beautifully and brought her to life. This in itself has been inspiring.

WILEW x Joanna Layla

“In terms of a brief, we didn’t give Joanna anything specific. As creatives ourselves, we believe a brief can be limiting and often stifling. Joanna explored our e-commerce platforms and social media mood board, and selected pieces from our collection that she was both drawn to and excited to interpret; the output was very much artist-led. The process has pretty much been an informal conversation, which for us, has been the strength of the collaboration.”

This page: The WILEW muse, so compellingly illustrated and brought to life by @joannalayla, featuring our statement buckle vintage mock croc belt.