World renowned illustrator, Megan Hess, has channelled her creative juices to create one of the most inspiring fashion-illustrated books of the year. The novel, titled Coco Chanel- the Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon, beautifully documents the life of the great Coco Chanel. We caught up with Megan to find out what inspired her to create the book, why she believes Coco Chanel is so inspiring, and what’s next for the talented illustrator.
Coco Chanel built a long lasting empire which has had a huge influence on the ever changing world of fashion. What inspired you to put together a compilation of illustrations featuring this iconic designer?
MH: I’ve always been really inspired by Coco Chanel. I think she’s one of the most iconic, or the iconic fashion designers of our time. And even now that she’s passed away the legacy that she left is still the biggest fashion brand in the world. What I found really inspiring about her as a person was her life and the fact that as a little girl her mother died when she was very young and her father essentially dropped her off at an orphanage and left her there. And so her beginnings were humble to say the least. I just think her story is extremely inspiring, the way that she went from those very early humble days to forge ahead, and despite the obstacles create her own millinery boutique and then step-by-step become the fashion designer and the fashion icon that she became. So the reason why I wanted to create the book was really just to create an illustrated story of her life, and even if you’re not really into fashion I hope that people will really enjoy the book because they find her story inspiring.
Your new book, Coco Chanel- the Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon illustrates and quotes the quintessential moments in Coco Chanel’s life. How much research was involved in documenting her career and choosing which moments to illustrate?
MH: This was difficult because there were so many great moments in Coco Chanel’s career, and it was really difficult to choose which ones to include. So in terms of the ones that did make it in, as it is an illustrated book I really wanted to pick the moments that were amazing to illustrate. And also the moments that defined her as a woman, in my opinion. So they were the moments that we picked and we really tried to be as detailed as we possibly could to show her life, as a little girl right through to when she passed away and also the legacy that she had left. In terms of research it was quite epic (laughs), I think anyone who has looked into researching Coco Chanel finds that there’s so many conflicting documents of her life, so getting them in order and getting to the bottom of which ones she did clarify or speak about when she was alive was the way that we focussed our research.
Why do you think Mademoiselle Chanel has been able to transform women’s wardrobes forever?
MH: I think she’s been able to transform wardrobes forever because she was the first woman, a female fashion designer, to liberate women because she abolished the corsets and she turned wearing black from something you would only wear to a funeral into the chic little black dress. So many of the designs that she created were a way to make women more comfortable, physically comfortable ... essentially in making things simpler she miraculously made simple chic. So I think that’s the key thing she changed for women, she used minimalism and comfort as a stylish option.
How has Coco Chanel inspired you?
MH: As I said earlier, I think her story as a woman and the way in which she started from humble beginnings to achieve what she did in her life has always been very inspiring to me. I remember reading about her as a teenager and I read that she worked in her Rue Cambon boutique in Paris, and that she had an apartment upstairs but that she lived in the Ritz down the street. I just remember thinking ‘wow what a woman’. I think that she always did things her way, and not in a push anyone out of the way style, but I think she had a really clear vision of what she wanted to do and how she wanted to achieve it. She was really steadfast in keeping to that, and that is what’s most inspiring to me.
What do you hope readers will experience as they flick through the pages of your new book?
MH: I hope people are inspired by my book, and I hope they are inspired by just the story of her life. I think, as I said before, even if you’re not so much into fashion, I think that you can still enjoy reading about her story just purely as a woman and what she achieved. Also, I think that it’s a new take on an old biography of her life because it’s illustrated. So I hope that’s what people enjoy.
Out of all the amazing work you’ve created, do you have a favourite Megan Hess piece that you have illustrated?
MH: I have lots of pieces that are special to me for different reasons, whether they were early in my career and pieces that kind of surged things ahead or helped me work on other great pieces. One that’s close to my heart was one for Tiffany and Co. early on. It was just after I did the covers for Sex and the City, which was my big break. Getting a call from Tiffany and Co. to illustrate all of their windows in New York was one of those moments where I could barely speak on the phone (laughs). When they rang me I was so excited and I remember staying very calm during the call but when I got off the phone I just did a victory lap around the lounge room because I was just so excited. And then actually working on that project was just really exciting.
What’s next for you?
MH: Gosh, well right now as I record this I’m sitting in a hotel room in Paris. I’m on the book tour for Coco Chanel, which is very exciting because after a year of work it’s all finished and wrapped up neatly with its little foiled edges. It’s very exciting to go around the world and see it get released and meet women from Dubai to London, now in Paris, and next it will be New York and then LA. So right now I’m in the midst of that and I’m very excited to see it get released. I think what’s next is once I’ve finished touring for this book it will be straight back to the studio and I’ll be working on new projects with some of the clients I already have, and some other projects with new clients that I have never worked with before which I’m very excited about. For Christmas I have lots of my own special projects that I’ll be bringing out and releasing as Christmas items, including scarves and homeware items, so it’s going to be a busy end of year, but [there are] lots of things that I’m very excited about.
Coco Chanel- the Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is a definite addition to any fashionista’s bookshelf. To keep up with everything Megan Hess, be sure to follow her Instagram.
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