Cream-colored, textured walls, modern furniture with sharp contours, exciting pastel details – Anett Hajdú’s studio-gallery is open to visitors from October 1. Illustri seems as though one of Anett’s illustrations were stretched out in the space of a tiny store in Újlipótváros, Budapest, which may just be a special jewelry box of the Hungarian fashion scene.
On the all-day opening event held on September 24, friends, representatives of the profession and interested visitors filled the small studio. When entering, all you can do really is observe the surroundings: in addition to the remarkable interior details, visitors’ eyes are caught by the sketchbooks and postcards featuring the drawings of the illustrator, as well as the large, colorful images forming the gallery wall. Everything is in order, yet the space doesn’t make you feel as if you were in an over-organized museum, as it is much more dominated by the momentum of Anett’s subtle-colored fashion illustrations.
Anett was already engaged in fashion illustration during her university years, and since 2014, she does not only consider this genre as a part of design, but as a full-focus project.
“Already during my years at MOME my favorite was when I drew sketches and designs for various design projects, or when we didn’t have the means to shoot an object professionally, and so I showed it with illustrations how it would look when put on” – she says.
Anett is fascinated by the vast opportunities offered by the aquarelle technique, and many times she also shapes her compositions after painting digitally.
“I am inspired by street fashion, runways, models and innovative make-up. The make-ups of the series Euphoria, for example, completely captivated me in the recent past. I am inspired by beauty: sometimes I like to present delicate and feminine features, while at other times I am inspired by unusual female characters. It can be anything with a good vibe” – Anett told us.
She regularly works with costume and fashion designers on illustrating attire and collections, and she also creates autonomously in addition, as this is the field that gives room for free experimentation the most. According to Anett, there is an established style in the Hungarian fashion illustration scene, and most people adjust to it, we are trend-followers. “I keep steering myself towards more daring paths, however, demand pulls me back to the more commercial direction, but I will for sure give my wilder side a chance to shine, too. I have plenty of plans for the future.”
One does not only get to see her completed works in the studio, but can also take a peek into the creative process, and Illustri may also serve as a fresh spot in the institutional system of the fashion industry on top.
“Illustri is the studio where I work, the store where people can purchase my works, and where I get to talk to those interested and the representatives of the profession, too. This is what we, creatives, need very much, as well. In addition, I also plan to hold temporary exhibitions, as I think it is essential to support each other mutually. I would like to add a vibrant, contemporary line to this part of Újlipótváros, in the small studio, where it is always exciting to peek into.”
Anett Hajdú | Web | Instagram
Illustri | Facebook | Instagram
Photos: Bernadette Horváth, Angie Pálmai
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