11 Incredible Fashion Illustrators You Absolutely Need to Follow on Instagram
In an age when everyone with access to an iPhone and Instagram is a photographer, there’s something to be said for the old-school appeal of paper and ink (or watercolor or graphite or acrylic paint or … you get the picture). Fashion illustration, which a decade ago may have seemed like a dying art, has had something of a renaissance thanks to social media, as artists finally have a platform to share their work, get discovered by brands, and reach a wider audience of fans.
As runway images and red carpet shots become more and more immediate and ephemeral, the labor of love it takes to create a work by hand is increasingly—and appealingly—novel. For a change of pace from your friends’ brunch pics and beach ’Grams, we highly recommend you follow a couple artists and illustrators from the following list—whether your tastes skew more haute couture or more Zara memes, we’re sure you’ll find something that appeals.
Blair Breitenstein
@blairz
Whether she's sketching ’60s icons such as Edie Sedgwick and Peggy Moffitt or painting a trio of Prada models circa 2016, this top illustrator—whose clients include Prada, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Oscar de la Renta—makes fashion come alive on the page.
Photo:
instagram / @blairz
Photo:
instagram / @blairz
Jenny Walton
@jennymwalton
Walton may be fashion director at The Sartorialist and a street-style star in her own right (with an enviable collection of both Gucci and vintage to boot), but what first drew us to her feed were the elegant, impeccably dressed sketches.
Photo:
instagram
Judith van den Hoek
@judithvandenhoek
Somehow, dresses look even better as swirls and smudges in the hands (or rather, hand) of this Dutch illustrator, whose signature spare style and high-impact colors have caught the eye of clients such as Hermès, Givenchy, and Vogue.
Photo:
instagram
Donald Robertson
@drawbertson
Come for the impossibly fun artwork—whether on canvas, skateboard decks, stilettos, or even garbage cans—stay for the adorable two-year-old twins. Either way, this Instagram feed is bound to become your happy place.
Photo:
instagram
The Fuffologist
@the_fuffologist
Don't let all the black and white fool you: These pencil portraits of fashion types (designers, store managers, public relations coordinators) have a ton of personality.
Photo:
instagram
Kelly Smith
@birdyandme
Mermaids, fairy tales, ballerinas, and ball gowns—it doesn't get much more romantic than this Aussie illustrator's feed. She's been tapped by such brands as Valentino, Armani, and Net-A-Porter—but you can pick up a print for yourself on her website for less than $100, too.
Photo:
instagram / @birdyandme
Photo:
instagram / @birdyandme
Photo:
instagram / @birdyandme
Connie Lim
@_connielim_
Lim creates gorgeous renderings of the European runway shows—and watching her process through the short videos she posts on Instagram is oddly entrancing.
Photo:
instagram
Sarah Beetson
@sarahbeetson
Riotously colorful, richly textured, and never boring, this British-Australian illustrator's work has caught the eye of a client list that runs the gamut from MAC Cosmetics and US Airways to Trader Joe's.
Photo:
instagram
David Downton
@daviddownton
Even if you don't know him by name, there's a good chance you'll recognize Downton's work; he's been in the game for two decades now, and has become a go-to illustrator for Vanity Fair, Vogue, Chanel, Dior, Barneys—sensing a trend here? If you like Fashion with a capital F, then this is the feed for you.
Photo:
instagram / @daviddownton
Photo:
instagram / @daviddownton
Julie Houts
@jooleeloren
Finally, someone who understands the meme-able potential of our relationship with clothing! After all, as this illustrator-cum-J.Crew designer clearly knows, fashion doesn't always need to take itself so seriously.
Photo:
instagram / @jooleeloren
Kelly Beeman
@kellymariebeeman
Beeman's illustrations look like the kind of work you'd expect to see in a museum—except if you look closely, you'll realize the figures she paints are dressed in Delpozo, J.W. Anderson, and Loewe.
Photo:
instagram
