Chicago is an ever growing presence in the fashion industry and is definitely giving Carrie Bradshaw's NYC a run for its money! The city boasts 6 great institutions (includingColumbia, The School of the Art Institute andIllinois Institute of Art) that give up and coming fashionistas an education on fashion and retail. The state of Illinois is listed as one of the top 10 states to study fashion in. This trend report is dedicated to those readers with an interest in learning more about the industry and the students who are responsible for putting the windy city on the map! 

Recently, there has been a buzz about London based renowned artist and fashion illustrator, Natalie Ferstendik, who has been featured in Vogue and in the book: 'A Girl for all Seasons' By: Camilla Morton. She was kind enough to have a chat with your local Chicago Fashion Trends Examiner to give you fashion hopefuls some tips on trends and breaking into the industry! Full interview below:

CFTE: How did you get started in the industry? What made you pursue your passions for art?

NF: I first began my career working at Conde Nast in London as a fashion assistant. By chance I called a couple of art-directors in the building to show them a few fashion drawings I had done for a job interview. Suddenly I found myself commissioned by Vogue and then the work seemed to develop from there. It was one of those rare 'lucky break' moments.

CFTE: Where do you find inspiration for illustration and set building, does your city inspire you, if so how?

NF: Since my illustration is fashion and beauty inspired I always take a look at the collections on style.com each season....it's a helpful starting point. I love fashion photography, especially John Rawlings from the 1930's as I think his graphic, feminine style is so simple and elegant. I also love nature and recently bought an incredible book of historical botanical drawings to help inspire me. TheTate Modern has an amazing art and design bookshop in the basement so if I visit for an exhibition, I invariably end up leaving there with something. When it comes to designing props or windows I'm always watching out for clever ideas. The internet is full of the bizarre and wonderful....but I subscribe to The World of Interiors each month to discover exotic and beautiful things from all over the world and also enjoy Selvedge magazine which is an interesting read if you like arts and crafts.

CFTE: Did you get a formal education in the industry you work in, do you think it is a necessity for people who want to pursue their dreams like yours?

NF: I went to art school and did a Foundation in Art & Design, then a degree in Fashion Design so I didn't specifically train to work as an illustrator or prop maker......but I also really don't believe that creativity is something you learn from scratch - it's more of a natural language that you are given, a way to express yourself, and if you just start exploring your creativity by making things that you love, you'll somehow find a way to make a living from it.

CFTE: What are your specialties within your industry, where can people see your work and what has been your most important accomplishment as of yet in your career?

NF: I guess I'm best known for my fashion illustration work which has allowed me the chance to work on lots of interesting projects.....one of my happiest moments was definitely seeing my illustrations blown up to fill the windows at Harvey Nichols but equally as rewarding was the moment I unwrapped my copy of Camilla Morton's book 'A Girl for all Seasons' with a message from her telling me how much she loved my drawings for the book. 

CFTE: Can you tell the readers about any current fashion trends that have inspired some of your work that you see forth coming in 2010?

NF: I'm just in the process of designing a range of cards for a company called Beaumonde here in the UK so I spent quite a lot of time researching the collections for inspiration. This summer fashion is going to be so girlie, with so many pretty, floaty and feminine dresses to choose from that I couldn't resist using that as a primary theme.

CFTE:  Do you have any favorite fashion designers and if so, what draws you to them?

NF: I love Isabel Marant. There's something so effortless about her clothes and for me, that's far more sexy than wearing everything short and tight with lots of make-up but if I could buy one designer gown this summer, it would probably be something delicate and beautiful by Givenchy.

CFTE: What are some of your favorite magazines to read about fashion in and why?

NF: I subscribe to Vogue because it's a staple like bread and butter, but I really love the French glossies - Paris Vogue, Officiel, Numero, Citizen K. I think they understand sensuality way better than most.

CFTE: What are 2 new and innovative paper craft trends you are seeing for 2010?

NF: Paper craft is having such a renaissance that it's hard to pinpoint specific new trends.....there are lots of interesting books out there though if you want to explore it in more detail. For my last project making paper sculptures for a Christmas window I just started off with an origami book, some cartridge paper and a glue gun and now I'm about to start working with Papier-Mache which is a really traditional technique using paper and paste on top of a wire frame. 

CFTE: Can you give our readers some great tips that they could use if they are interested in becoming a Illustrator and designer such as yourself--(ie great ways to promote onself, how to get their work noticed and how to stay motivated as they continue their dream?)

NF: I would say it helps to really focus on your goal and stick to it until you get to where you want. If illustration is your passion, work out who your artwork appeals to and then try and get a meeting with the art-director of that publication or failing that, send them a press-release about your work. The key is to get published! If you want to be a window dresser, go and work on the visual team at your favourite store and stick with it to you've made it to the top. If like me you want to do lots of things, then just remember that life is long, so why not try it all?

CFTE: Can you list your top 3 boutiques to visit?

NF:

Anthropologie - local chicago store located at: 1120 North State Street, Chicago - (312) 255-1848
Couverture - www.couverture.co.uk
Bluebird- www.theshopatbluebird.com

CFTE: Can you give 3 key tips to styling a window that people can incorporate when styling themselves?

NF: As always it's about aesthetics. Keep your colour palette uncomplicated, make sure there is a clear focal point to your look and most importantly, no-one wants to see how it's all held together, so make sure you wear the right undies!

CFTE: Finally, can you link us to you: Facebook, web page and any other site your work may be on?

NF: You can contact me directly through my website: www.natalieferstendik.com
You can buy prints of my work at: www.nellyduff.com
You can become a fan of my work on Facebook - just search: NATALIE FERSTENDIK ILLUSTRATOR
You can see more of my work at: www.unit.nl