Toronto-based entrepreneur Marcus Kan has Gucci’s stamp of approval.
Kan, founder of online fashion illustration and NFT community Draw A , recently teamed up with Gucci to showcase the talents of illustrators – and offer lovers of fashionable sportswear no shortage of visual stimulation.
Front and centre to the initiative was Alessandro Michele’s playful adidas x Gucci collection, which served as a muse for eye-popping works of art.
Draw A Dot
Recognizing the creative possibilities of the celebrated collection, Kan called upon Draw A Dot fashion illustrators to create sports-related drawings that capture its vibrant, colourful, and retro vibes. The open call asked the artists to post their own creative spin on the adidas x Gucci collection on Instagram.
This offered a chance for these artists to shine in the spotlight and share their talents with the world.
The fashion illustrators – members of Draw A Dot from across the globe – had two weeks to create their works of art. They were encouraged to let their followers in on the process and share their inspirations, mood boards, and work-in-progress stories on social media with the hashtag #drawadotadidasxgucci.
“Playing with the codes of high fashion, sportswear, and streetwear through the House’s GG monogram and Web juxtaposed with adidas’ Three Stripes and Trefoil, the kaleidoscopic aesthetics of Alessandro Michele’s adidas x Gucci collection lead to infinite interpretations,” reads the Gucci website.
Gucci calls the initiative “a multifaceted creative exercise.” Sixteen winners were announced, with the top three chosen directly by Gucci. Jamie Edler, an illustrator from the UK, took first place, followed by NYC-based artists Paco May and Adri Reynoso. The other winners included Agáta Trpišová, Andrea Del Hoyo, Anna Tsvell, Cassie Lee, Christina Bui, Cia Moon, Clemens Maurer, Glenn Sandoval, Hayley Stuart-Malcolm, Katerina Balashova, Katerina Vasilyeva, Nataša Kekanović, and Sasha Romashko.
“When I look at these 16 illustrations, I find that each piece has a story to tell,” says Kan in a statement on the Gucci website. “These artists have created artworks that arouse the viewers’ attentions and make the viewers want to know the story behind each piece. A successful illustration always has a strong story telling element and these 16 artists have definitely achieved that.”
Kan also took to Instagram to share more candid thoughts about the initiative.
“This is a full circle moment. I am very proud of what I have achieved! After 9 years of building the @DrawADot community, I have finally achieved a major milestone! Today, Draw A Dot and 16 artists from the community are mentioned on Gucci official website. I am so thankful that a fashion brand a lot of illustrators love is putting a spotlight on the fashion illustration community. I always have Gucci on my list as a collaborator and finally it happened!,” wrote Kan.
In the same post, Kan also outlined nine lessons he’s learned since starting Draw a Dot in 2013. He touches upon everything from passion and trusting your gut feeling to appreciating failures.
While Kan has a degree in Economics from the University of Toronto, his passion for fashion lead to a more right-brained-focused career path. Kan started a fashion blog called Fusion of Effects in 2010. Three years later, he launched Draw A Dot as a blog that featured fashion illustrations. The brand has since grown to become one of the largest online fashion illustration platforms in the world.
This is just the beginning for Kan and many fashion illustrators. In addition to spotlighting their creative talents, Draw A Dot also highlights what fashion illustrators can do for brands, leading to impactful and memorable creative collaborations.