ASHOKA PARIS is launching a collection of jackets for men and women.
We wanted to prioritize local production and found a manufacturing workshop in Paris, with extensive expertise. We aimed to create a line of jackets, always adhering to our core values: respect for animal life, people, and the environment. We also wanted to incorporate unique touches, those small details that make all the difference. This includes an inner label, designed by a Parisian artist, the illustrator Adélaïde Julg.
Here is her portrait.
What path led you to become an illustrator?
I always wanted to do art but wasn't sure what. I pursued a literary baccalaureate with a visual arts option, and that's where I discovered my "talent." I fumbled for a few years, unable to find a path that was artistic enough for me. I took a gap year during which I did civil service in a city in Toulon. I had a small sketchbook and illustrated pretty much everything I saw. That's when I told myself, "This is what I want to do: illustration." I returned to Paris and finally found my calling: I studied graphic design for three years. And to truly express my creativity, I became a freelance artist. That was in October 2020. I work for various companies as well as individuals, both in illustration and pure graphic design (layouts, brand guidelines, logos).
What is your preferred technique?
Initially, I mostly did watercolors. But since going freelance, my clients primarily ask for digital drawings, so I work a lot on a graphic tablet, even though it's still done by hand with my stylus.
What themes particularly inspire you?
I really enjoy illustrating architecture, castles, houses... I like drawing straight lines. Inspiration comes from everywhere around me; I like to draw what I see. I don't like using unreal models or drawing solely from my imagination. I also enjoy creating illustrations geared towards a younger audience. The hedgehog is a bit of my mascot: I've created series of "hedgehog cards" where I draw hedgehogs, "hedgehog houses"; they're in various situations, in the bath, in the kitchen...
How did you get to know ASHOKA PARIS?
I got to know ASHOKA PARIS because I have a standing assignment for a French clothing manufacturer who works with ASHOKA PARIS. I help them with the graphics for their clothes. That's how I met Frédéric while he was making his jackets.
How did the idea of creating an illustration for ASHOKA PARIS come about?
Frédéric saw my drawings on Instagram. Specifically, after my year in Toulon, when I returned to Paris, I painted and published a watercolor with the caption "Paris, here I am again." He liked that drawing and asked me if it was possible to do something similar but longer. So I drew a street in Paris for ASHOKA PARIS.
And you chose to paint Rue Monge.
Yes, it's inspired by Rue Monge where I live. I love the neighborhood... with its Haussmannian style. I find this street very beautiful; I love walking there with my nose in the air, looking at all the buildings.
What did you like about this project?
Firstly, it allowed me to do watercolors again. I like getting my hands in paint, and it's more spontaneous; I spend less time wondering if I need to redo a line. It's a more manual process. And I enjoy drawing buildings, making lots of little windows, lots of details. I created a frieze that is about 40 cm long, spread across two A4 sheets. I really drew as if I were in front of it, in 2D, so that everything was flat and the buildings aligned along the length.
What I also appreciated was that Frédéric asked me to film myself while I was drawing. I filmed accelerated snippets of my work, and I got to see myself drawing, which was an experience I'd never had before. It was fun; I felt like I was adding color in two seconds. It was a nice experience.
What is unique about the project?
The street will be cut into four labels that will be placed on four jacket models, thus reconstructing the entire picture. I was a little bothered when it came to cutting because I hadn't considered where to cut and I had drawn characters. But we succeeded.