Q&A: Illustrating LFW S/S 24 Womenswear With Ian Hodgson
We spoke with artist Ian Hodgson, who worked to reimagine this season's S/S 24 collection offerings from London Fashion Week.
We spoke with artist Ian Hodgson, who worked to reimagine this season's S/S 24 collection offerings from London Fashion Week.
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.
For the London fashion shows, which have just come to a close, we invited celebrated artist Ian Hodgson to reimagine his favourite shows. Choosing to illustrate looks from Edward Crutchley, Stefan Cooke, Ahluwalia, Sinéad O'Dwyer, Feben, Chopova Lowena and Matty Bovan, Hodgson immortalised each brands' offering into mesmerising pieces of art in line with his signature aesthetic.
Despite lacking in colour, Hodgson's works still captivate, evoking a sense of magic and intrigue, especially when fashion is the subject. Often working from black paper, the stark black-to-white contrast evident in Hodgson's work can often translate to a specific eeriness, characterised through his rough yet refined white lines that trace the shapes of figures (and landscapes when fashion isn't the focus) on a page. Hodgson's process is rooted in reworking the familiar, allowing the artist's practice to develop with each new approach, shedding fresh light on his subject matter. We spoke to the artist to learn more about his illustrative style, inspiration and working process.
SHOWstudio: How would you describe your illustrative style in three words?
Ian Hodgson: Intuitive, sensitive, expressive
Ss: Can you talk a bit about your journey to becoming an artist?
IH: I have drawn for as long as I can remember, it has been a constant activity in my life that I couldn’t imagine not doing. Taking it to a professional level has involved me attending various college courses (and numerous life drawing classes) and after graduating from Bradford college of art in 2000 I moved to Brighton where I embarked on a career of exhibiting and selling my work. I continue to do this now that I’ve moved back to my Yorkshire roots.
Ss: What do you think makes fashion illustration relevant in 2023?
IH: I think fashion illustration can open up dialogue between two creative practices, one informing the other and providing a new language for us to engage with.
Ss: I've noticed you used minimum colour in your London illustrations... please can you talk a little bit about your reasoning behind this?
IH: I find that if I add too much colour it can distract from the form and line I use to express what I want to communicate.
Ss: How did you choose which brands / looks you wanted to illustrate?
IH: I had no agenda when choosing the collections I illustrated, it was simply a case of whatever caught my eye, a silhouette of the fabric, textural contrast, the angle of the figure…
Ss: Do you think having an individual artistic style is important as an artist? Is this something that's set in stone for you or constantly adapting and evolving?
IH: Developing an individual artistic style is definitely a good thing and something that tends to happen naturally over time but I think it is as equally important to be open enough to adapt and respond to new approaches. Sticking rigidly to your personal “style” can make the work become formulaic and lose dynamism.
