ONE TO WATCH: ILLUSTRATOR MILLY JACKSON
The cover of our sister publication Area Culture Guide this month is by the talented Milly Jackson and although she has never formally trained as an illustrator her impressive client list (Whistles, The Clothes Show and numerous magazine titles) proves that if you have got the flair, enthusiasm, and importantly, the talent, then it won’t be a barrier. Originally training in fashion her passion for drawing far outweighed that of making the clothes themselves.
“My style has just been developing naturally over time and it’s always evolving,” comments Milly. “Having a background in fashion design meant a lot of my work was based on figures and garments, but now I have more freedom to experiment with style and subject. It’s important to develop a signature style, but at the same time push your own boundaries and keep things fresh.”
She may be at the early stages of her career but Milly was excited to get the opportunity to work with style aficionado and former fashion editor of i-D magazine Caryn Franklin on a set of seminars for young people wanting to break into creative industries. Since then she has gone on to teach fashion design and illustration to undergraduates while keeping a firm eye on her own practice.
Future gazing for Milly includes illustrating a children’s book and bringing her work to like with animation. Whilst setting her sights high her dream collaboration would be to design the costumes for the international and award-winning Cirque du Soleilcompany.
Words: Kerry Thomas
