Today we’d like to introduce you to Vogue Vignette, Stephanie Jimenez.
Vogue, Stephanie, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
When I was a kid I was rambunctious but also really shy. My parents let me experiment with jewelry, painting, beadwork, a little sewing and even clay and was something I could turn to when I was feeling out of place in the world, which was most of the time.
In high school, I designed classmates’ prom dresses so when I went to UT Austin, the Textiles and Apparel program seemed like a natural fit. There, I dabbled in mixed media art, clothing and jewelry design, before realizing my real love of illustration. I practiced relentlessly and experimented for years, developing my ‘Swan Neck’ style.
After school, I taught fashion illustration and took on commissioned projects for clients. That business evolved into Illustrative Branding and graphic design where I gained experience creating brand tailored artwork and marketing collateral for small business. In 2017, I decided to do the same for myself and launched ‘Vogue Vignette’.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
There are a few different elements I weave in and out of: Editorial Artwork, Live Art for Events and Education. @VOGUEVIGNETTE: At the moment I’m using gouache watercolor and ink to reimagine diverse, historical icons in fashion inspired vignettes. They feature Frida Kahlo, Billie Holiday, Amelia Earhart and have been a great reminder of role models throughout history, their imperfect lives and their ability to push past their fears to become their best selves. Diversity is a theme that keeps running through my work. Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of women who looked like me in art, tv and music. It’s great that we’re seeing this unearthing of women in the arts and STEM who made these huge leaps that advanced us to where we are today.
@VIVAVOGUEVIGNETTE: For the past few years, I have been sketching for fashion forward clients by transforming their guests into high fashion ‘Style Portraits’. I’ve had the privilege of working for designers like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and this past year expanded my clientele to include Salvatore Ferragamo, Bumble BFF, Kendra Scott, and Planoly. I love the one-on-one interaction with individuals and the chance to make folks smile. This one will also help answer the last question 😉
EDUCATION: After 7 years of teaching fashion illustration, I developed a course for Austin Community College’s Continuing Education program. It’s designed to demystify illustration and help students find their own style of art. It’s pretty cool to witness the diversity in everyone’s final projects and how it really represents them as an individual.
How can artists connect with other artists?
Ahh, the loneliness. I’ve found that the cities of Houston and Austin are really supportive of the arts. I know in Austin there are tons of lectures and programs that feature artists and their work and is a great place to build a community amongst like-minded folks. I’m not sure if it’s in Houston yet but I participated in Artist Inc. last summer in Austin. It was 24+ artists in a room for 8-weeks having discussions about what it takes to actually have a successful art career. I made great friends and connections that have had a huge impact on me personally and business wise. I know for myself, I felt like nobody understood or could relate to what I was going through as an artist/entrepreneur and to find others who were in the same boat was like finding my sanity.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Folks can visit Austin Community College’s new Fashion Incubator to see a trio of murals I designed and painted for them this July. For me, the mural represents what the new Incubator will stand for; innovation, creativity, and diversity in the field of fashion design. They feature four designers from all backgrounds and their innovative designs. Designers featured are African-American designer, Ann Lowe, Cuban-American designer, Isabel Toledo, Japanese designer, Issey Miyake and Spanish designer, Josep Font of Delpozo. They’re heavily inspired by Roy Lichtenstein, pop art and use colors that are bold and refreshing. Going to throw a huge shout out to Autum Goodman, Ayla Erdner, Lys Santamaria and Jared Schiller for helping me make these murals happen.
You can also visit https://www.voguevignette.com for more work. If you’d like to commission a mural or have Vogue Vignette sketch ‘Style Portraits’ at your event, you can email hello.there@voguevignette.com
Contact Info:
- Address: Austin, Tx 78727
- Website: www.voguevignette.com
- Phone: 512-774-4473
- Email: hello.there@voguevignette.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voguevignette/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VogueVignette/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/vivavoguevignette/
Image Credit:
@VogueVignette
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