The last time I spoke about illustrator Julie Verhoven, it was slightly tainted by a very honest interview that I conducted with her at the David David Gallery where she casted a reality check on the world of fashion illustration - that it is competitive, tough and often undervalued. A few months on and all seems cheery with the great Verhoeven. She has just done a brilliant wall collage for the new Melissa pop-up store in London, she's created some illustrated make-up bags for M.A.C. as an exclusive for Nordstrom and now she'll be gracing clothing once again as she has created some exclusive illustrations for the Australian label Something Else. Creative director and founder of Something Else Natalie Wood has instilled a bit of a tradition of collaboration and inclusivity into her label and in the past she has worked with artists such as Ken Done and George Barnes on prints that feature in collections. Verhoeven is an illustrious coup though for Something Else and one that sparks desire for even more of her signature illustrations in a fashion context. This capsule collection that is from Something Else's Outlaw spring 2012 (that's southern hemisphere spring), comprises of a printed shirt, a silk tunic, a satin dress and a matching kimono and trouser set. Silk does seem to be the best foundation for printing Verhoeven's illustrations and they look especially great when you get a bit atmospheric wind blowing through them. I'm just enjoying having the pleasure of having wearable Verhoeven in my possession as a complete and utter fan girl of her work.
(Worn with Uniqlo poloneck, Karen Walker cap and Nike trainers)
(Worn with Miu Miu cape, Alex & Eli trousers, Miu Miu shoes and House of Holland cap)
The collaborative spirit of this collection doesn't end there. The non Verhoeven-part of the collection follows a narrative that Something Else have commissioned for this Outlaw collection. They've asked one of my favourite fashion writers Indigo Clarke to contribute a short story that tells the tale of a girl on the road in the desert that may well be dressed up in these pieces of shaggy wools, cactus-print skirts and soft denim shirts, backed to the mystical wonders of peyote.
