A TOUCH OF COLOR WITH STEVEN WILSON

We talk with Steven Wilson about its new collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld.

by TEAM PARIS SOCIAL DIARY, photography by COURTESY | 16 May, 2017

The illustrator, Steven Wilson known for his brightly-coloured artwork and neon-effect graphics, has recently collaborated with KARL LAGERFELD on a limited-edition capsule collection of ready-to-wear and accessories, launching for Spring 2017. We talked with him about his new collaboration and the twist he made to Karl’s trademark black and white.

ABOUT STEVEN

TEAM PARIS SOCIAL DIARY: How would you introduce yourself?

STEVEN WILSON: I am an illustrator based in Brighton, UK.

PSD: When did you realize you wanted to be a designer/illustrator?

SW: I have loved drawing since I was very young. My grandfather used to come and visit every Sunday and spend time sitting and drawing with me and I think that ignited a love for it. People began to tell me I was good at it and I think when you are told that as a child that makes you want to get even better so it’s self perpetuating in that respect. I always chose art & design when I had the opportunity throughout my education but it wasn’t until I was 18 and began studying illustration at Brighton University that I knew for sure that is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I love illustration because it is so varied, you can move in whatever direction you want creatively and so there is always a sense of optimism and hunger about what is next.

PSD: Each one of your graphics looks like dripping paint, is this part of your trademark?

SW: I guess the fluidity of the shapes in the way I work has become something of a trademark but I do like to experiment and I have tried a lot of things so although the dripping paint aesthetic has been an important one for me it is by no means exclusive.

PSD: What role does you think that artist and designers have in society?

SW: I think they are there to make people look at the world from a different perspective.

ABOUT WORKING WITH KARL…

PSD: How did this amazing collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld come about?

SW: Caroline Lebar who has worked with Karl for a very very  long time found my work online and showed it to Karl with a view to the company collaborating with me. He agreed and it was then Caroline who approached my French Agent Tiphaine about working together so I have a lot to thank Caroline for.

PSD: What can you tell us about your experience working with Karl?

SW: They were very open about the process and their approach from the start was very much that this was a collaboration and they wanted my creative input and opinion but of course offered guidance along the way. I think their whole approach with how they dealt with me as an artist was brilliant, I love the fact that this is a named collaboration and that is still quite an unusual experience for me. Often I work with brands where I supply the work but it is then released solely under the brand name but for Karl Lagerfeld to actively promote me as an artist alongside their brand is something I think is fantastic and good reflection on them and their ethics as a company.

PSD: What do you think of the unexpected twist to Karl’s trademark black and White?

SW: Karl’s world has such a strong look and the black and white is a big part of that. It means I had to bring a strong direction to the table as well in order to allow my voice to be heard and my input to be seen as well. That is why I used lots of colour and a very specific print process to create my illustrations because they were very different to anything in Karl’s existing world. That allowed the final outcome to look like a joint collaboration rather than an artist just drawing things with the look and feel of Karl’s world that we already know.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION…

PSD: How long did you work on this collection?

SW: Well, it was done in stages. Initially I did the drawings that were then sent to Team Karl for them to begin designing the products with, that was the main phase from my perspective as it was setting the look and feel of the collaboration. I guess that stage took around a month as we tried a few different routes. Later, we made screen prints and there were other bits and pieces along the way so the timeline for the collaboration has been over a year but obviously I haven’t worked on it continously during that time.

PSD: Do you have a favorite item for this collection?

SW: Yes I love the bomber with Karl’s portrait embroidered on the back, it is very exciting for me to see my work executed and used in that way.

PSD: Tell us the concept and inspiration behind your designs

SW: Well, most of the things I drew are icon from Karl’s world so it was more a case of how can I make these assets (Karl’s portrait, Choupetter, sunglasees, etc) my own, how can I execute them to bring what I am about to this partnership so that was the main challenge for me. The Polaroid was an icon I decided to include as I felt it fitted in with the world of Karl very well. The concept and inspiration behind the way I actually created the drawings is a process I have used for some time. The idea is that the illustrations are built using 3 abstract layers. Layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow are laid on top of one another. As they create secondary colours and together they all create a recognizable form. It is a technique I have developed over a number of years and has come about from my experiments with screen printing.

PSD: What are your plans for the future?

SW: I don’t like to plan too much. The nice thing about being an illustrator is that you just don’t know what might come along next. The projects are so varied in not only what I create but also in how the work is used I like to just keep working and experimenting and trying to take my work in new directions and i will see what comes from that.