Fantastical illustrations and functional backpacks
You might have seen us with a new look for this campaign. That is thanks to our talented friend Steve Gavan. We asked him to bring our latest campaign imagery to life with some of his fantastical illustrations, and he did not disappoint.
We wanted to give you a chance to get to know him, as well, and so we asked him a few questions.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
A: I'm a designer and illustrator from Melbourne, Australia. I've been working in the industry for over 10 years. In early 2020 I decided to work for myself, which ended up being a very risky thing to do for obvious reasons. I feel very lucky that things have gone well. Apart from design and illustration, I also play in bands and have two-year-old twin girls that keep me busy.
Q: Where did you get started as a graphic designer?
A: I was lucky enough to know that I wanted to be a designer from a young age. I studied design straight out of high school, and started freelancing and working in studios as soon as I graduated. My first job out of uni was working at a packaging company where I mostly designed beer cans and fruit boxes.
Q: Where does your inspiration come from?
A: Most of my inspiration comes from old and often overlooked designs. I love objects like fruit stickers and old album covers, packaging and signage etc. Rather than looking at other designers, I like to look at found objects and long forgotten designs from the past.
Q: Do you have any artists you look up to?
A: There are so many illustrators, designers and artists that I love. I'm inspired by illustrators like Alex Stitt, Jean Jullien and Atelier Bingo; and design studios like Alter, Fisk and Hey Studio. Those are just some off the top of my head, there are of course many, many more.
Q: What’s your favourite piece you’ve made?
A: Recently I've been creating illustrations for Apple. It's an unreal feeling to open the App store and see my work front and center.
Q:. What’s the best reaction you’ve received to one of your pieces?
A:I created some apparel for the London-based brand Lazy Oaf that was worn by Noel Fielding on The Great British Bake Off. My phone lit up the night that episode aired.