From art class to Kenzo
I’ve known Evelina pretty much since the late nineties from Brussels (that’s a crazy long time ago, and even crazier that I can refer back that long to this friendship). My clearest memory of her from that time is her always in art class with a pen in hand and a smile on her face, bent over a sketchbook and creating page after page of delicate, flowing, feminine illustrations.
Us in the Paris heatwave last summer.
Since then she went on to rock London College of Fashion and got herself a first class honours in womenswear from the prestigious Institut Francais de la Mode in Paris straight after. Already during her studies she gained work experience within fashion houses such as Mary Katrantzou and Maxime Simoens, which propelled her to becoming part of the womenswear team at the Paris-based fashion house Kenzo.
But specifically fashion illustration was always there, as the backbone of Evelina’s design work and a necessary creative outlet. Rewarding as it must be to see your own 2D creations become 3D, for all of us non-fashion people, those are two totally different skill sets all together, but you just need to know she slays both anyway.
Over the years we’ve stayed in touch Evelina and I always end up talking about art, beauty, design and fashion at some point. That’s why as I am reminiscing my last stay with her in Paris this early summer, I wanted to share a snippet of some of those talks on fashion illustration with you.
Drawing the final touches on a look from a Stella McCartney collection. © Evelina Romano.
Was it those art classes in Brussels that sparked your fascination with fashion or something totally different?
Well to be quite honest fashion was never something I necessarily aspired to do as a career back then. I’ve always been creative. I’ve always had a great love for drawing too. I think one pivotal moment for me was seeing this one documentary on the work of Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton. I remember that as a big influence in sparking my interest in fashion and opening my eyes to the spectrum of creative careers within fashion.
Illustrations from the Kenzo AH 18-19 collection. © Evelina Romano.
How do you prepare for a new illustration project?
That entirely varies depending on the type of project. For those personal projects, I just grab a pen and see where it takes me. But when I work for clients, the process is from thorough research and detailed mood boards. I collect inspiring imagery to shape the final visuals. However, for me illustration is an extremely personal process, so in both cases I need to be alone to work and dive into my creative bubble.
What types of illustration do you love doing the most?
Final drawing for a Stella McCartney look. © Evelina Romano.
I’m fascinated with facial expressions and drawing people. I’ve definitely picked up a certain aesthetic over the years, I really focus on sketching the face in a very realistic manner in black and white, and then use colour to represent garments with different techniques. My favourite media is pencil with pro-markers, as I love the detailing and intricacy you can create with these.
© Evelina Romano.
What’s the most surprising thing you have done as a project or part of your work?
I think the most surprising project I did was working on a collaboration project with Google at Les Arts Décoratif in 2017. I got the chance to recreate silhouettes from our Kenzo Memento 2 collection, but in virtual reality, using Google’s latest tech to do it. It was simply mind-blowing to be inside my own artwork!
Illustration work for SS18 Kenzo. © Evelina Romano.
As a women’s wear designer, how do you transform your 2D illustrations into 3D maquettes? Does knowing how to handle textiles shape your 2D illustrations to create a better design?
A solid 3D understanding is absolutely crucial for the design process. I use drawing as a great tool to quickly show first ideas. But all designs need to be interpreted into volume and maquettes in order to work as part of any collection. Only in the 3D prototype process do you solve the real constructional technicalities required for the piece work. If you don’t do this, you end up with a beautiful expressive drawing that’s completely dysfunctional as a design.
With my work at Kenzo I’m very happy I get to work collaboratively with the in-house atelier of modélistes. They are there to interpret and drape volumes from the design team’s sketches. It’s highly detailed work and we always do our best to find feasible solutions together.
© Evelina Romano.
What is your best advice for someone starting out in the fashion world?
Patience, flexibility and determination. It’s long hours, working with many strong personalities and constant push for ideas. At the end of it though, the result is so rewarding. Nothing beats that feeling for me.
And finally where can we best follow your work?
Check out my website www.evelina-romano.com – I also regularly post on Instagram under @evelinaromano.
© Evelina Romano.