Fashion

15 Conceptual fashion artists to follow on Instagram

03.06.2020

By Pravin Nair

15 Conceptual fashion artists to follow on Instagram

The outlet for self-expression in the golden age of social media is now a digital canvas. There’s no denying that Instagram is where it’s at. For an artist, this is the beginning of a new era in which accessing thousands of eyeballs (without the need of a stand-alone show in a gallery or resorting to guerilla style graffiti) is a closer reality.

There’s been an insurgence of creatives putting their thoughts and ideas on the photo-sharing app, and creating viral moments. Below are fifteen of our favourite artists that cheer up our Instagram feed with their punny collages, mash ups and conceptual art with their wicked sense of wit, proving that fashion can truly have a sense of humour.

Angelica Hicks

Funny puns and kitschy illustrations is Angelica Hicks’ go-to aesthetic. Her cartoon drawings are cute and wholesome, and have an innocent, childlike demeanour about them, but her jokes can be cheeky too, which makes it all the more intriguing. Follow her account for a good laugh, wholesome jokes and some NSFW.

Edwin Antonio

He calls himself the “paintings fashion photographer”, and uses mixed media for his breathtaking pieces. It appears he uses an average of three layers for each of his works—a photographed background and runway images of fashion’s latest collections superimposed on classical art figures. “I want to create a colour contrast between the garment and particular paintings from the past centuries. It also presents how these pieces would look in diverse fractions of time during the past eras. Depicting how fashion evolves and looks different yet timeless when presented in various paintings from various centuries. It is a synergy between a photo, painting and a piece of fashion.”

Badly Drawn Models

Surrealistic portraits that are so “bad”, they’re actually good! Sean Ryan’s drawings have a whimsical touch, and despite that they are intentionally not supposed to look like their subjects, he manages to capture their likeness in a magical way. Small details are maintained, such as facial asymmetry, beauty spots, baby hairs, etc. It is these unique quirks that bring life these portraits to life, and perfectly embody the character and persona of the subject.

Siduations

If you’ve ever seen a look on the catwalk and thought, “But where would I wear that?”,  you need Sidney Prawatyotin’s superimposed creations in your life.  The hyperrealistic situations by @siduations will definitely grant you a chuckle (or two) during that after-lunch 4PM slump.

Hey_Reilly

It appears that twisting iconic logos and typography, then spinning it on its head is the Instagram artist’s specialty. The artist broke into fashion fame in 2018 when he created the Fendi and Fila logo mashup. It caught the eye of Silvia Venturini Fendi, which sparked a collaboration to produce more logocentric motifs for the Italian fashion house’s Autumn/Winter 2018 season. Since then, Reilly has had numerous collaborations with other fashion houses such as Gucci, Coach, and Marc Jacobs, to name a few.

Gryffindior

Seeing Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Neville Longbottom strictly in Dior looks from head-to-toe is truly *magical*. The account reimagines looks from deep within the archive and current seasons from the womenswear and menswear line on characters from the Harry Potter universe—gotta love the word play in the handle, too.

PortisWasp1

Scottish artist and blogger, Portis Wasp is a mixed media artist that makes humorous fashion collages that ties fashion with other pop culture references. The artwork is sharp and witty, and equally striking. Warning: Very, very NSFW most of the time.

Freddiemade

Based in London, Freddie Smithson is the king of making minute connections and geniusly illustrating it with Photoshop. On the ball and quick to the beat with puns accompanied by equally amusing imagery, it’s easy to see why this account is worthy of a follow from Rihanna a.k.a. the Queen of the Met Gala.

Copylab

Streetwear meets classical art in this transcendent vision of old meets new. Trending threads and accessories are cleverly and seamlessly inserted into classic works of art ranging as far back as the Renaissance period. Seeing Ghirlandaio’s “Portrait of a Young Man” from the 15th century wearing Louis Vuitton x Supreme makes quite the spectacle.

 Jill Burrow

Gifted with a creative eye for art direction, set design and photography, Jill Burrow’s work is strikingly whimsical. Her go-to aesthetic is dreamy and laced with surrealist imagery, like buttered toast and tea served underwater in a swimming pool. Colourful and quirky, we imagine her images are exactly what a Wes Anderson film would look like IRL.

Lex So Wet

With a handle this cheeky, you can expect very nuanced work by the female artist. She’s known to make “accessories” out of vegetables. Her favourite medium being leafy greens which she converts into over-the-top statement earrings and headpieces. Two things are for certain: Remember to eat your veggies, and always remember to accessorise.

Nicole McLaughlin

Nicole McLaughlin has a gift, and it is combining everyday essentials and seemingly mundane objects into fashion ideas that toe the line between kooky but logical. Shorts made out of Haribo gummies is an idea we can get behind! Follow her account for eye-opening imagery and a refreshing take at how we see fashion. Her out-of-the-box ideas will definitely get you thinking, and a hearty laugh at the very least.

Gab Bois

It’s hard to put a finger on Gab Bois’ art. At first glance, nothing may appear out of the ordinary…until you pay closer attention. Subtle disturbances are what makes the artist’s work so captivating. What looks like an image of a barrette may actually be soap bubbles manipulated to its shape. Gab Bois is very clever with presenting completely different entities into a coherent visual image, and it’s this simple principle that makes her work so good.

The Onigiri Art

Art so delicious you could eat it. Yujia Hu moonlights as a food artist when he’s not being a chef. Armed and skilled with a sharp knife, fresh sashimi, rice and seaweed, the sushi artist creates miniature sculptures of popular fashion must-haves. More skewed to the hypebeast, you can expect to find the likeness of the freshest kicks and dope drops, rolled into a scrumptious onigiri. We wonder, who gets to eat them after? Cause we’d like to volunteer.

Legolize Fashion

Artist Maria Sheila Miani’s Instagram bio reads, “24 years old and still playing with Legos”. Maria translates her love for the yellow building block into recreated magazine covers and fashion campaigns using Lego characters, complete with pronged figurine hands. What’s incredible is the careful attention to detail, be it a stray strand of hair and body placement. A must-follow for the inner child at heart.

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