Hear From This Year's Winners #DrawFashion 2016

Draw Fashion is an annual fashion illustration competition and exhibition organised by the London College of Fashion. Cass Art have gotten on board for the second time in 2016 to celebrate this incredibly diverse artform, and help to support the ongoing work of some of LCF's most talented students by offering three art materials prizes totalling £1,000.

We caught up with this year's winners for an exclusive insight into capturing the human form, fashion and the importance of drawing in modern design... 

Thu Ha Khuat (Bennie) is in her first year studying BA Fashion Pattern Cutting. She won the <> award at Draw Fashion 2016.     

1. How do you want people to feel when they look at your drawings?

I express my persona through drawing but that's how I visually respond to the fashion world personally -  the ideas of others are very important too. Therefore I always leave empty space somewhere in my drawing so that viewers can fill that space with whatever they can think of or want to fill in. So to be free is what I want people to feel when they look at my drawings.

2. What is the process for creating your illustrated work?

In term of techniques, I first sketched the bodies really roughly as the guideline.  Then I used masking fluid to create different mark-makings depending of the textures of the garment. There was a lot of imagination (perhaps guessing) in this process since everything is still quite vague. Then I started to draw the face with watercolour. I have to make sure that the area I am working on is very wet so it wouldn't leave any hard edges. A beautiful flowing surface with a blend of colours is what you are aiming for. Keep an eye on it because watercolours like to change so just be patient and always have a dry tissue with you. For the face, the number of layers I have to create varies from time to time, but usually for the first layer, I will do the shading and hair, wait for it to dry, wet the paper again, do the other details and repeat the process until I am happy with the results. To balance the drawing, I just want the garment to be abstract, free and almost like a hint of what the actual garment looks like. So I wet the paper (again) and use Winsor & Newton Ink in Black to create the rest of the garment.  At this stage I just use a few dots of ink and let the water and ink do their job, bleaching as much as they can. Once everything is dry, I rubbed off the masking fluid so that the mark-makings are revealed. That's how I create my drawings.

3. How do you feel about being named the overall winner of Draw Fashion 2016?

It was beyond what I could imagine. To be honest, I did not think I was the winner because I have seen the other's work and I just thought they were amazing, so I guess I was lucky this time. But definitely, I was really pleased to be called the overall winner. It was amazing, absolutely!

Zoe Thomas is in her second year studying BA Fashion Textiles: Print.  She won the ***

A lot of my work tends to focus on identity, this series of illustrations are about a girl who is accepting hers:

'She peers from behind the wallpaper, quietly confident but still covered with a thin layer that is not herself. She adorns her body with vibrant colour to show that she is ready. She appears from hiding, now energetic but still tentative.'

Which designers or artists inspire you?

Fyodor Golan- energy, youthfulness and playful aesthetic really capture me.

Yayoi Kusami- I like how immersive her art is and her obsession is really something else!

Luc Tuymans- I’m intrigued by his portraits and the tones he uses within them to create mood.

What are your favourite illustration tools?

Acrylic and scalpel! Acrylic is my favourite medium, I enjoy its opacity and viscosity when I’m painting. I collage with acrylic painting to create additional depth and an almost suspended quality.

How does drawing feed into your wider fashion practice?

Drawing is the back bone of print design! It’s my research, development and ultimately the end result. It drives an initial idea or thought into something really extraordinary.

Andreas Bucher is in her third year studying BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear.  She won the *** Award at Draw Fashion 2016. 

Your drawings have an elegant simplicity- how do you create your work?

I would say I work really abstract when it comes to my illustrations. I have a picture or a mood which I want to interpret and then I start working with colour drops (Copic marker refill liquid) and other materials (nail varnish, pens) and let these mediums interact with each other. I then add some details with colour pencils and chalk. In my work I don't plan the outcome in the beginning. It is more about the process and the development of the illustration.

Why do you think drawing is important within fashion design?

I think it is just adding another layer onto the garment or the collection. For me, a drawing makes it more honest, more personal and I think that is always a way to reach people. Also, it helps me to set a mood for a garment or a collection and it is a really good way of getting thought processes and ideas out of my head.

How did you find the experience of taking part in Draw Fashion 2016?

Taking part in the Draw Fashion 2016 competition was a great experience. It is these drawing classes (with amazing tutors) where you sit with other passionate students and just try to improve, refine and find new ways of approaching your artworks. That really made the experience for me, but also the exhibition as the outcome was really nicely curated and put up. Thank you!

Feeling inspired? 

Take a look at the Cass Art Instagram page to see all of this year's #DrawFashion entries.