Candid colorful illustrations of Talia Zoref to portray fashion. We spoke with young illustrator based in Israel.
To me, it means to make someone feel and think about something in a different way by using a powerful message, or provoking a certain feeling. Maybe, make them learn something. Every art piece is a message with a concept, colors, sounds, it is a transferring of vibration.
Life inspires me to create. Issues that I care about, things I want to raise awareness to. Beautiful things I see or hear. Could be places, people, feelings, colors, really everything.
I was very passionate about fashion design, and I thought I would become a fashion designer, and then I went to college and got very deep into sewing, technical and commercializing parts. That made me realize, that fashion design sometimes can be less creative and more technical, and it was not really what I felt in my heart. I was more artistic. For a while, I was not realizing that there was such career as fashion illustrator. And I realized that I could be a fashion illustrator specializing in fashion. That was what I wanted. I always drew for hours since I was a kid, so that just brought back one of my biggest passions.
Both art, and fashion are forms of arts. Fashion also transfers a message. I think, that fashion is a wearable art, it can be adaptable to our everyday life. But what I like, is capturing the wearing and using of fashion. I think, it is something very powerful — capturing the designer’s world, and other artists at work, especially on couture week, when you see models wearing pieces of art. It is very inspiring for me to capture, it is like a dream.
Believe in yourself unconditionally. Know that you are very capable and deserving of your desires. If you have those desires to succeed, there must be a reason for you to pursue this path. Also, of course, staying consistent and taking actions. What I did to succeed is not thinking too much and just jump into water — experimenting, not waiting for the right time and approvals. That’s how you will learn and progress.
Right before I gave my sketch to Gal Gadot, she was talking, and she said that she almost gave up on her dreams because there were so many people doubting her and saying sh probably should go back to Israel, but something in her helped to ignore these voices and stay true to her passion and belief in herself. She said the biggest advice she can give is to ignore the noise in the background. Another line that really resonates with me is Gigi Hadid’s famous phrase, that «she need to be the nicest hard-working girl in the industry,» and I couldn’t agree more.
The first real fashion show I attended was of well-know local brand Alembika by designer Hagar Alembik during Tel Aviv fashion week. I was 17. I remember pinching myself. Omg I was finally in my essence! I dreamt about it being a child, but I knew it was the first of many more.
I was always sketching since I was a kid. At the age of 15, I started sharing my sketches in my blog. At 17, I started attending fashion shows, and sketching there. I literally stood in the corner and didn’t show my sketches to anyone. Only in 2016, I saw Anna Dello Russo at Versace show. I didn’t even have my travel paints, I only had a clumsy pencil set. I sat down on the floor and sketched her in two minutes, and when I finished I left everything on the floor and asked my friend to watch it. I approached Anna to give her the sketch, and she loved it. Since then I realized, that I should approach people, not everyone will like your work, but most people will be nice to you. It took me almost 3 years since I started attending fashion shows to when I started approaching celebrities. I was too scared to approach them with a sketch that I didn’t feel was ready. A moment to approach big celebrities, like Celine Dion, Gal Gadot will never seem right, that’s why you just need to feel the momentum, go ahead and do it! If not, you just loose your opportunity. On last year Missoni show I was able to sketch the most number of celebrities over one show than I ever did. In 10 minutes I sketched Gigi and Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk, and took pictures with all of them. I felt very accomplished of reaching my goal as an illustrator. I said to myself: «Ok, Talia, you did this!»
I think FOXYLAB NY is the first. I collaborated with sports brands, like Nike, and Reebok. The closest to streetwear was Converse, but FOXYLAB NY is definitely the first real one.
I personally love oversize fashion, I think it is very comfortable. I heard about the sizing issues though for bigger women. But in general, if there are enough sizes for everyone, I love wearing oversize. I feel more comfortable, when my clothes is not too tight. I think Covid brought a lot of comfort towards homewear. It is something very fun.
There are many streetwear brands that can be associated with luxury. I would name the cases like Off-White, Yeezy, Men’s Louis Vuitton, Supreme and Vuitton collaboration. Everytime luxury and streetwear go together, it is so much hype! So many people are interested in this kind of collaborations. I think it is an amazing direction to take. It also feels like it’s been there forever. Since Duchamp took the Monalisa and drew a mustache on it, turning it into streetwear. He took the highest, most expensive art piece and put, basically, the street on it with a graffiti of a moustache. I personally think it’s so fun, and I love it!
