Tell us about the Drawn from Fashion exhibition and what we can expect to discover?
Drawn From Fashion is an exhibition showcasing and celebrating emerging Australian designers and young fashion illustrators and artists. Using photos from previous L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival runway events, 16 young Australian artists, hand-picked by us, will create original works using methods based in fashion illustration, art and graphic design.
These artworks will be for sale, and will have a strong feature in both Australian Art and Fashion.  We are so excited by the line-up, with each artist exhibiting one large A2 sized artwork, a size not often seen from this extremely talented bunch!

Artwork above by Lalita Lu

Artwork above by Racket

What was the inspiration behind the exhibition?
Angela :: After having previously worked with artists using fairy tales as inspiration (Once Upon), and the theme of break-ups (DisBand) we wanted to try something different.  Since both Renee and I have recently been working in various wardrobe styling jobs, we wanted to explore that theme further.  I’ve been to plenty of LMFF events in the past and always felt a desire to be part of it.  We’re so proud that our show will be part of the cultural programme.

Renee :: Seeing as I had my fun with interior styling for our last curated exhibition (DisBand) it was great move to my second most favourite thing in the creative world, fashion.  Celebrating Australian fashion design is something I am so passionate about, and what better way to do that than with an amazing collection of artists!

What artists are involved and how did you select them?
Angela :: We were so thrilled to announce such a dream bunch of illustrators and artists. Courtney Brims, Pilgrim Lee, Sarah McNeil, Racket, Beth Emily, lalita lu, Meeri Anneli, Elisa Mazzone, Erin Flannery, Emma Leonard, Kelly Smith, Catherine Campbell, Jessica Singh, Lauren Carney, Pippa McManus and Bec Winnel will all be exhibiting in the show and just love the strong and diverse nature of the group.

Renee :: If you’d told me two years ago that I’d have the opportunity to deal with these amazing artists I would not have believed you! I still have to pinch myself!  I used to admire these artists and their work online, and to now be curating and organising a show with this amazing group of people…. it really is such an honour.

Artwork above by Pippa McManus

Artwork above by Kelly Smith

This is your second exhibition collaboration with Finders Keepers, how do you find the audience at our events?
We love never ending excitement and enthusiasm from the Finders Keepers audience.  Hearing people literally squeal with delight, grabbing their friends by the arms and pulling them over to show them our art makes us so excited, we never tire of it.  We love noticing the subtle differences in each of the states we visit, we love all our audiences, but each state certainly has its own uniquie reaction to the things we have on show.

How long has this project been ‘in the works’ and what has been the most challenging?
Since our first exhibition Once Upon, we spend a lot of time dreaming up ideas for art exhibition.  Working with fashion, and fashion illustration has been something we have always wanted to tackle, and when the opportunity came up to work with LMFF, it really seemed like the perfect time to bring Drawn From Fashion to the surface! To be honest this one has been “in the works” for much longer than our previous shows, mainly due to fact we needed to get organised to be ready in time for the LMFF program! With both of us living in Sydney, organising an event in Melbourne has been quite a challenge, although we are extremely lucky to be partnered with the fabulous Finders Keepers, who have been an amazing help with all things Melbourne!

http://www.drawnfromfashion.com.au/

*artworks above are representation only of the artists who are showcased, and are not directly apart of the Drawn from Fashion exhibition.