The Illustrator

  Photo Courtesy Of Nancy Riegelman

HOW ARE YOU TODAY AND WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?
Fine, thank you. I am in my studio waiting for my students to arrive for a Saturday class in fashion drawing.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
San Francisco.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A FASHION ILLUSTRATOR?
I loved drawing as a little girl. After art school I showed my portfolio to ad agencies and they directed me towards fashion. I was hired by a number of fashion houses, particularly Japanese, to do fashion drawing.

WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR TRAINING?
Berkeley, UCLA and Art Center College of Design.

WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I get my inspiration from art and many other sources. I draw all the time.

WHAT QUALITIES DO DRAWINGS HAVE THAT PHOTOGRAPHS AND FILM DON'T?
Surprisingly, they actually share a lot of qualities in terms of the content of the image, its mood and purpose. Drawing has the human touch and you of course can draw things that exist only in the imagination.

YOU HAVE AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS AND ARE ALSO A LECTURER, DID YOU EVER PONDER BECOMING A DESIGNER YOURSELF?
I make up designs all the time in my drawings and design most of the garments I myself wear. I also design cards, packaging, bags. Up until now I haven’t designed a line of clothing, which is a very different proposition. It’s not out of the question I will do so,though, one day. My focus has been on educating people in fashion drawing and design. Many of my students are designers or working in fashion houses or the fashion industry.

DO YOU FOLLOW THE FASHION WEEKS RELIGOUSLY AND WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT COLLECTION?
No, I am not religious about anything, except chocolate, though I do look at them frequently. For me a perfect collection is one that is transcendent, with a poetic quality. I see some new collections—not too often though-- and they give me chills.

WHAT ART APPEALS TO YOU AND WHO ARE THE ARTIST YOU ADMIRE?
I have very broad tastes, from medieval to contemporary art. In contemporary art I love minimalism, post-minimalism, artists such as Agnes Martin, Jan Schoonhoven, Dan Flavin, Ad Reinhardt, Robert Mangold, Raymond Pettibon. I also love Asian art.

HOW DO YOU UNWIND?
I practice extreme martial arts on my significant other. I also go hiking, read a lot and spend time in Barneys.