I Don’t Like Clothes

Stylistic Fashion Illustration from a Fresher Perspective

‘Growing up I had no interest in fashion, style or clothes, ‘ recalls Dadu Shin, artist and creator of the illustration project I Don’t Like Clothes. The popular blog began as a personal project that allowed Dadu to explore his newfound appreciation for fashion, as well as keeping him drawing consistently. His playful expression of patterns and proportions has garnered the site a lot of attention and appreciation for his work.

As Dadu only came to appreciate fashion and those who cultivated personal style in his later years of college, this fashion-linked project hugely benefits from his fresh perspective.

‘My own style and tastes tend to be minimalist.’ he told us. ‘A big part of why I started the series was to explore aesthetics different than my own, so the style varies throughout the series.’ He shared with us two of his latest additions to the project; both very playfully patterned and silhouetted dresses.

Dadu told us more about the project and creative process (scroll down for more images):

The Plus: What is your normal creative process?
Dadu Shin: My process is still evolving, but it will always start with drawing. Picasso said it best when he said “to know what you’re going to draw, you have to begin drawing”
I’ve found that thinking about things can only get you so far. I always begin with doodling in my sketchbooks. Then I think about what materials would work best for whatever I’m trying to convey.
A lot of the time I have no idea what the final image will look like. That can be nerve-racking when on deadline, but it certainly helps keep things interesting.

TP: What inspired you to start I Don’t Like Clothes?
DS: A few years ago I realized I wasn’t drawing for fun as much as I had when I was in school. I decided I needed to start a simple series in which I would be able to play around and experiment, and that would also encourage me to draw more.
At the time I had a newfound interest in fashion so I thought it would be a fitting subject for the blog. Working on the series has helped me develop my work and process in ways that I didn’t foresee, so I’m really glad I started the blog.

TP: Who are some of your creative influences and inspirations?
DS: Lately I’ve been looking at Richard Diebenkorn and David Hockney. I’m also looking at a lot of Gustav Klimt’s landscape work, which unfortunately tends to take a backseat to his figurative work.

TP: What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?
DS: Keep on making new work. Be persistent. Don’t let rejection bring you down, let it motivate you. The ones who make it tend to be the ones that keep pushing. Also try not to worry too much about finding a style. Style is one of things that will naturally be discovered through the constant creation of work. Keep on making work that you feel strongly about, and good things will happen.