Claire Idera is anything but your normal fashion illustrator. Deeply influenced by fashion and culture, Idera is known for her contemporary designs and she has a growing clientele. Unlike many women her age, she’s already set on a career path that is deeply personal and creative as it is entrepreneurial.
The Lagos-based Nigerian native incorporates pencil, graphite, ink and watercolour to generate a sense of fluidity and movement within her work. While she tries to keep her compositions simple, what comes out is a mix of beauty and sensuality, sometimes unobtrusive and delicate, other times bold and feminist.
Her illustrations are all about feminine beauty in pastel colors and intricate textures, as she combines the digital with the traditional, sometimes making reference to social media, technology and social fads.
Her collaborations include brands like Hugo Boss, Maki Oh, Lisa Folawiyo, e.t.c; and her work has been exhibited in Rele Gallery, Lagos. She also runs the CIW (Claire Idera Workshop) where she explores the concepts of line, shape and composition with budding fashion designers and illustrators, teaching them the technical skill and provocative flair that is essential to succeed in the field.
According to her, “Today, I’m a fashion illustrator; another day, I’m purely designing; another day, I’m painting; and another, I’m teaching. It allows me be everything I want to be. I love the responsibilities on being a young influencer.”
Culled from Bellanaija
