This Tuesday, we have very special guests: Megan Hess, a renowned fashion illustrator whose work includes collaborations with the most desired fashion houses like Dior, Chanel, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and many more, and Claris the Mouse. This interview carries a very personal note, as I am a big fan of Megan’s work. Claris the Mouse is beloved in our kids’ fashion community. All kids and parents who are interested in children’s fashion and aesthetic education have these books in their libraries. It is an absolute pleasure to enjoy the illustrations and follow the adventures of the little mouse, even if you are no longer seven years old. We chatted about dreams, careers in fashion, success recipes, and Claris’ new book releasing in October. We are also proud that Megan Hess and Claris are our honored judges at the Junior Style Awards.
JS: How did you become an illustrator?
Megan Hess: I always knew that I wanted to draw for a living but when I was growing up I had no idea that a Fashion Illustrator was an actual job! It was just always the thing I loved to do. I still feel incredibly lucky to do what I love as a profession.
I studied Graphic Design because it felt like a ‘real’ job in the art world, but really always wanted to be an illustrator – I just never knew back then that it was a possible career choice! After working as an Art Director in Ad agencies for several years I packed everything up and moved to London. It was in London that I worked in a million different creative jobs and in my final job there I realized that I had a burning desire to be an artist. At this time I’d become the Art Director for Liberty Department Store. Whilst I loved art-directing fashion I loved illustrating it more. I started to do very small illustrations for Liberty and from this art directors saw my work and little commissions began to follow. MY big break came when I illustrated the cover of SEX and THE CITY. Rom here I was commissioned by many of my dream clients, such as Prada, Fendi, Tiffany & Co, Louis Vuitton and Dior.
JS: Tell us about Claris. Where did it all start? Why did you choose a mouse as the character? What is Claris’ message?
Megan Hess: It all happened on a beautiful summer’s day when I was on the balcony at the Le Bristol Hotel sketching the whimsical buildings of Paris when something caught my eye. It was an adorable little mouse on a neighbouring building scurrying across the rooftops. I thought it was so wonderfully chic to live in Paris even if you were just a tiny little mouse! The message of Claris is about following your dreams and being brave enough (no matter how small you are) to transform the world around you. Every book has a lovely dose of fashion and an even bigger dose of kindness and compassion.
JS: What is Claris’ next adventure?
Megan Hess: Claris’ next adventure is called Magnificent Mess! This story is set back in Paris and it features the incredible, beautiful and inspiring Eiffel Tower. Sometimes in life, you need to create an enormous mess to see something really wonderful on the other side, and that was the inspiration for this book. As always, there is so much great fashion, so many beautiful Parisian sites as well as so much heart and humour in this story. I’m really excited for it to come all around the world out this October.
JS: What do you think about children’s aesthetic education? Is it important?
Megan Hess: I think that someone’s personal style, whether you’re a child or an adult, is something that you should have fun with. It should be a reflection of your personality, how you’re feeling, something that is comfortable and feels good. It should be something that makes you feel your best self and I think fashion has that amazing power to do that for both children and adults. When kids are really young, they may not know what their sense of style is. They may not care and I think it’s important that kids are just kids. But when a child gets to an age or a stage with fashion and it’s something that they really enjoy and there’s a style that expresses who they are, I think that’s a really wonderful thing for them to have discovered.
JS: To what do you attribute success?
Megan Hess: I think any success that I have had in my career has really come down to the fact that I truly love what I do. I’ve always really leaned into the aspects of my career that I find the most joyful, and I feel like the areas that you really put that love and effort into are the areas that really grow and ultimately become successful. I also think there’s something infectious about creating something that feels special. If you truly feel that magic when you’re creating something, chances are other people are going to feel that way when they see it or read it or interact with it. Any success that I have had has really been born from any failures that I have had. This was something that I learned very early on, that failing, as devastating as it can be, is actually the one thing that propels you forward the fastest to actually succeed!
JS: There are a lot of illustrators, but Megan Hess is the brand now. What is the secret?
Megan Hess: In the very beginning of my career I never set out to actually have a brand. I was just someone who loved drawing and bit by bit and step-by-step that built a career for me. I’ve always focused my career on looking forward, not on looking back and not looking to the side, I am immensely inspired by lots of other creative people, but I’ve always gone back to a core value of drawing and creating what feels magical to me. It’s always been about trusting and following my gut, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but most importantly it’s always authentic to me and to what I’m inspired by as an artist.
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JS: How do you manage to juggle being a super mom and businesswoman?
Megan Hess: Honestly, I just do my best and it’s a day-to-day challenge to make everything work. Ultimately, I love my family and I love being a mum. I also see my work as an artist and an author as something that is very much part of who I am and it’s very much part of my happiness as a person. I’ve never felt the need to ever have to choose between being a mum, and having my career. It’s not always easy, but I think following my heart and always leaning into the things that I love brings me the most joy to both myself and my family. I also see it as a very important role as a parent to show my kids that you should always follow your heart and passion in life.
JS: What advice would you give to anyone who would like to pursue a career in fashion?
Megan Hess: My advice to anyone wanting to pursue a career in anything that they’re passionate about is to go for it! There are so many different jobs and career paths within fashion, I think it’s just a matter of getting your foot in the door and then really discovering which direction you enjoy most and what you’re actually best at. I always advise anyone to really get that first bit of experience. It may be unpaid work, but it is absolutely invaluable to be able to see the working operations of an actual fashion business and to really immerse yourself amongst other creatives and really understand how the process works. Ultimately, no matter what you are passionate about doing, my advice is to never give up. One of my favorite quotes is: those who failed, didn’t realize how close they were to success before they gave up.
JS: Who is your fashion icon, past or present?
Megan Hess: I have two iconic women for this answer and I’ve written books about both of them. One is Audrey Hepburn and the other is Grace Kelly. Both women were incredibly iconic in their careers and they were so original in their look and their style. Both were incredible actresses in their time, and they’re still today considered the most iconic and fashionable women that ever graced our screens. I always say: try and find a bad picture of Audrey or Grace – you won’t find one!
JS: What inspires you?
Megan Hess: I am incredibly inspired by so many things. everything from music to film, perfume, travel, food, other artists – just everything to me is an opportunity to be a sponge and to be inspired by it. I think I’m most inspired when I travel. I love immersing myself in architecture and the sounds and smells of other countries and places. I also love to people watch and sketch in cafes – just dreaming and being inspired by everyday life.
JS: What are your favorite cultural magazines or publications? What about podcasts?
Megan Hess: My favorite magazines are actually interior magazines. I think there’s something just very escapism and relaxing about them. It’s a little bit outside of what I do so I think there’s an element of stepping out of my creative world and looking into someone else’s. And my favorite interior magazine is World of Interiors. I love the scope of interiors that they feature, from modern interiors to ruins in 18th century castles – just beautiful. My favorite podcast is The Huberman Lab. It’s not really anything creative but it’s fascinating and I find it very, very interesting to know more about the mind and the brain.Â
JS: Where is your favourite place in the world?
Megan Hess: My favorite place is always where my husband and kids are.
But my favorite place to visit is definitely Paris. There’s just something about Paris that is endlessly inspiring and no matter how many times I visit (and I do go to Paris a lot) I never run out of things that I want to do. I always have things left on my list that I didn’t quite get to and I always just feel so incredibly inspired. There’s a certain magic that is only found in Paris. It’s the architecture, the food, the people, the street style and the music. I’ve written many books about Paris and my children’s series, Claris, is of course set in Paris. It just has so many beautiful elements and charming details that are so unique to the city.
Of all the places in the world that I’ve traveled to, none inspire me more than Paris.
Learn more about Megan Hess at www.meganhess.com
Meet Claris the mouse at www.claristhemouse.com
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