Judges at 9th Fida awards see bright future for fashion illustration

An annual staple in the world of fashion art, the Fida awards (Fashion Illustration and Design Awards) took place on May 31st recognizing the up-and-coming talent in the field. Founded by artist Patrick Morgan in 2019 the London-based organization with global influence promotes fashion illustration and drawing around the world, and is supported and partnered with brands like Miu Miu, Dior, Lacoste, Bulgari, Tom Ford and Alberta Ferretti.

The 10-member international jury for this, Fida’s 9th awards ceremony, represented a cross section of contemporary illustrators and artists working in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle space who regularly collaborate with luxury brands, big box retailers, and glossy magazines. Their careers are testament to the fact that in almost every field of commerce illustration has become one of the prevailing means of communication and engagement. Among the panel were Polish artist Anna Halarewicz whose art is currently on show in a solo exhibit in her native country and who has worked for Chloé and Balmain; Italian Diana Kuksa whose work has appeared in Tatler, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar; NYC-based Elly Azizian who operates under the moniker Fashion Strokes and has worked with Oscar de la Renta, Sotheby's, and Carolina Herrera; and Jessica Durant whose clients include The Washington Post, The Gates Foundation, Vogue, Dior, Ikea, and Spanx.


"It was so very hard to choose, there were so many pieces full of vibrancy, intricacy and beauty,” said Durrant. “I love seeing how fashion illustration is evolving and growing and becoming more and more commonplace. Our industry is booming more than ever and I see a bright future for a longtime!”

To reflect the trends of this fast-paced and ever-evolving field, the categories of the Fida awards tend to change each year. This year they were as follows: Sketchbook and iPad Award; Backstage, Front Row and Street Style Award; Murals and Spaces Award; Collections and Collabs Award; Contemporary and Fine Art in Fashion Award; Reels and Shorts Award; Covers and Posters Award; and the Student Award.

The Contemporary and Fine Art award was presented to Vanessa Van Meerhaeghe, while Paul Konye won the Backstage, Front Row and Street Style award. Clemens Maurer won the Sketchbook and iPad award; the Reels and Shorts prize went to Katie Braid; the Covers and Posters award was claimed by Marta Ruiz for her Pucci-inspired artwork, and the Packaging and Product award went to Minh Dinh. The Collections and Collabs award was picked up by Lisa Nikitina for her mysterious and intriguing Missoni-inspired submission. In each category the jury also highlighted outstanding work with special commendations.

Universities as distant as Leeds Art University and Savannah College of Art and Design encouraged students to showcase their work this year at a rate not seen in previous years. At Leeds award-winning illustrator Caroline Riches led the students through the process, while SCAD students were mentored by Andrew Fionda, formerly of British design duo Pearce Fionda, to great success as this year’s winner in the Student category, Jiayi Ruan, was from Savannah College of Art and Design.

"It's an absolute privilege to judge these awards and glimpse the very exciting perspectives of this artform,” said Azizian of Fashion Strokes. “Once almost written off as a relic of old world art, seeing the innovation and modernization of fashion illustration thanks to Fida and these participating artists, it's clear the future is vast and bright!"