Q&A: Illustrating New York A/W 24 Womenswear With Brianna Moreno
Our New York A/W 24 womenswear fashion illustrator Brianna Moreno reveals why fashion serves as a constant inspiration for her and how she honed her signature artistic style.
Our New York A/W 24 womenswear fashion illustrator Brianna Moreno reveals why fashion serves as a constant inspiration for her and how she honed her signature artistic style.
Before fashion film, there was fashion photography, and before fashion photography, there was fashion illustration. Dazzling the pages of many of fashion's most revered publications, wondrous illustrations adorned the covers (and continued to decorate the inside pages) of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Flair, Tatler and many more throughout the first half of the 20th century, proving quite an asset to the quintessential style bible. Having always believed in the power of illustration, primarily when used to communicate a mood or palpable presence, SHOWstudio have long been inviting fashion's most talented illustrators, on and under the radar, to offer their unique talent in interpreting the latest season's collections.
Revelling in the constant stream of creativity offered at New York Fashion Week recently, we invited illustrator Brianna Moreno to reimagine her favourite looks by putting pen to paper to create artwork that mirrored real-life art. Musing on many of New York's A/W 24 cult brands, Moreno saw Marc Jacobs, Collina Strada and Helmut Lang as the perfect starting point for her own artistic work to take flight.
SHOWstudio: Why do you illustrate?
Brianna Moreno: Drawing is often our first exposure to art, serving as a natural reflex for expressing thoughts that words alone can’t articulate. Illustrations can often simplify complex ideas, offering a visual language to complement and enhance understanding. Above all else, I find drawing so much fun.
SHOWstudio: What are you looking for in the collections this season?
BM: Garments that easily merge into the rhythm of our daily lives (but that doesn’t mean being boring). I would like it if there was less virality and a return to the whimsy. A dedication to sustainability where the ethos of it's always in the styling anyway.
SHOWstudio: What makes a good fashion illustration?
BM: Drawings that breathe life into the clothing, provoking a sense of curiosity. What will this look like? How will it hang? What is that fabric? I need to see this move!
SHOWstudio: Why do you think/ what makes illustration important and relevant in 2024?
BM: The infinite interpretations of fashion illustration not only showcase the creativity of the artist but also highlight the nuanced complexities inherent in fashion itself. With technology getting better and better, returning to the hand-drawn (even digital) can illuminate the beauty of messiness, mistakes, and overall spontaneity.
