Drawing the runway in New York City

Fashion illustration can be a fulltime job, and for some it can necessitate a move to New York City. New Zealander Natasha Wright has just moved to Brooklyn, where she is surrounded by inspiration for her stylish hand-drawn sketches.

"It's a good experience having worked in PR because as a designer and illustrator you're constantly promoting yourself, especially if you're a one-man band," Wright says over coffee in New York's East Village, mid-fashion week. She's been busy attending shows, illustrating some of her favourite looks (pictured).

She's working for well-known illustrator Dallas Shaw on projects such as clothing prints and promotional work for brands like DKNY, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Anthropologie.

Shaw is more brand/blogger than mere illustrator, with 47,000 Instagram followers and work in titles such as Harper's Bazaar and Women's Wear Daily.

Wright says she is learning lots from Shaw's social media strategy - it's one of the main ways the illustrator gets clients. Wright's journey to New York began while studying fashion at Wellington's Massey University School of Design.

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A third-year exchange to the US saw her studying fashion merchandising and marketing at San Francisco State University, and the renowned Parsons School of Design in New York.

This led to working for Christian Siriano (of Project Runway fame), and the Designers Management Agency, where she had the opportunity to design a collection for Elle magazine.

Inspired by her fashion marketing studies, Wright continued down the path of public relations, working at Auckland and Australian fashion agencies.

Four months ago, she decided to focus on illustration, and like many young, creative types, set up home in Brooklyn's Williamsburg.

"I thought, 'I don't want to be doing this in five years' time. Now's the time to be making the change'.

"I just find New York so inspiring, there's so much going on, you could be doing something all the time."

That includes illustration meet-ups and daily life drawing classes. "I've been trying to really immerse myself and do as much illustration as possible."

"Even though fashion drawing isn't really realistic, [life drawing] helps you to get the proportions and I'm doing lots of portrait drawing with this amazing artist over here so I'm learning heaps."

Wright's sketches are inspired by looks she sees online or on the street. "You just get a feeling from something, whether you like it. I like to illustrate things I either would like to wear or that are really beautiful."

Up next for Wright is growing her freelance work in New Zealand and Australia, and working on a book she is illustrating and writing.

"It's loosely based on my experience here.

"It's like a journal about a girl's experience moving to New York and all the things that inspire her, for anyone who loves fashion."

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