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A former fashion designer, Susan Hassman is a German illustrator with a penchant for all things glamour. Working between analogue and digital, her playful illustrations are made with pencil, ink and watercolour, then finessed in photoshop to give them a distinctively polished, ‘pop’ edge. “As a child, I always painted women in beautiful dresses,” she told Cluster, “I love the playful and changeable aspect of the fashion industry.” Using bright blocks of colour, she prefers to define a range before each piece, orientating herself according to current fashion trends.

Inspired by the work of Renè Gruau, she found her first illustration job sketching shoes for Glamour magazine. “I became fascinated by the elegance of his work and the stories he told without words.” With sleek lines and characters full of personality, Gruau’s enduring influence is evident in Hassmann’s narrative composition. She likens her process to method acting, adding, “I like to imagine someone looking at my work because they like the colours, but then they start to think; what does the woman with the sunglasses see? Who is the sailor waiting for?”

At the moment, she’s keeping busy with a string of commissioned works, while settling into the Cluster family. “My experience with Cluster has been so nice and friendly,” she explains, “I hope to find new, international customers through Cluster’s wide network, and I’m looking forward to positive feedback going forward.”

Similarly, Kelly Bailey is a UK-based designer and illustrator with over 20 years in the fashion industry. A Textile Design graduate of Winchester School of art, Bailey spent many years in New York designing prints for renowned brands such as Anne Klein, Lulu Guinness, Vera and Macy’s, to name a few. Immersed in a world of editorial and runway shoots, her illustrations are cloaked in the allure of luxury that high-fashion so often possesses. 

Capturing the ephemeral nature of fashion via fleeting runway poses and timely colour and patterns, Bailey’s work evokes the sensuality of fine fabrics and grandiose garments through loose swatches of colour layered against delicate lines. “I want to bring the viewer close to the immersive experience of the runway or fashion shoot,” she explains, “something to intrigue and prompt imagination.”

Using a collection of found photos as reference points, Bailey builds up her images using collage. After an initial pencil sketch, she experiments with ink washes for backgrounds and infills, before rendering the piece in photoshop.  “I find the freedom of combining haptic and digital processes exciting. There’s spontaneity involved throughout, and I try to allow space for experimentation and surprise.” Recently, she’s been introducing more painting, pastel and collage into her pieces to intensify both colour and texture.

Work by both Susan Hassman and Kelly Bailey can be viewed on the Cluster Illustration platform
and purchased through our Cluster Illustration Online Shop.

Thank you for reading,
Stephanie Gavan & Cluster Team.