David Murray | Combining high fashion with hip hop and fantasy
This weeks featured artist is David Murray, an Irish designer and illustrator currently living in London. I asked him about his illustrations that combine high fashion with hip hop and fantasy.
How did you come to make these unique fashion inspired illustrations?
I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a kid. I spontaneously decided to study fashion design in university. It wasn’t until I graduated that I dedicated the time to create finished illustration works that I was satisfied with.
They all look to be based on fantasy figures of some sort, why have you chosen these specific characters?
I’ve always loved horror and science fiction movies, as a kid the characters were always so appealing to me. Fashion week collections often hold elements such as silhouette, colour, pattern and graphics that I can compare to many of the costumes I’ve seen on the characters in these movies. Most likely not by chance, as we’re aware many of these fashion houses dip into these fictional worlds as their source of inspiration when designing their collections. I simply establish the similarities and combine the characters with the garments that I feel best compliment them.
Which one is your favourite? (Mine is Yeezy for sure!)
Pac and Big in Yeezy, I love hip hop music.
Do you sketch garments from your favourite designers, or pieces you feel work best? Do you have a favourite designer?
It’s usually whichever works best with the characters. I like an extensive range of designers for different reasons. Some for their conceptualisation, others for their practicality and simplicity, some for their colour and shape. I have a never ending list.
What’s the process behind making the illustrations?
I use paint, pen and paper, implementing a technique called pointillism. They take a long time. Too long!
Are you a fashion designer as well as an illustrator?
I work Monday to Friday as a Menswear Designer, currently working in London at AllSaints, as you can imagine it’s all a very collaborative effort with a design process combining many different opinions and viewpoints. As a creative, it’s nice to work on something you can solely be in control of and take credit for with no one else’s influence. I just wanted to grow a collection for my own satisfaction really. It’s also proven to be therapeutic.
What inspires you?
The various phases of the design process I guess, seeing something come together from start to finish.
Will this be an ongoing project?
I have more in the works. I plan to launch a new project in the coming weeks.
