ILLUSTRATION: FahadBoutique

Quite recently, I had joined Instagram...which admittedly for me was a big deal. Considering I had managed the majority of my teenage life void of any social networks, this was quite a breakthrough for me. 

But like most aspiring artists/designers/illustrators/creators your main goal is to get your work out there, whether it's for an approval or to convey a message or create a feeling - but bottom line - that's pretty much what we all want. As much as I try to deny the obsession with this newfound guilty pleasure of mine, I caught myself wanting to check the news feed every couple of minutes - seconds, even. And as much I hate to admit, my heart did soar a little every time someone tapped on that little heart icon...

One of the obsessions with all these "likes" and "thumbs-ups" are the advantages of checking on who in fact did like your image, because, well - let's face it, we want to know the who, what and why behind that single "like". Which gets me to right about here - where I had the pleasure of being introduced to fahadboutique, a Kuwait-based haute-couture clothing line.

Browsing the images as a sort of archive, I was torn; I either fell in love with the dress or the model...or perhaps the dress on the model. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to wear the dress or be the model wearing the dress. Either way, I figured that if I couldn't wear it, I would draw it. But of course, when it's not your own design, you kinda have to get a license/an agreement or something to give you (the illustrator) the rights..to, you know...illustrate. Thankfully, all I had to do was ask, which in return got me the thumbs up and I was good to go!

Part of my little dorky heart couldn't help but feel absolutely ecstatic and 'all grown up' as though I was a "real" fashion illustrator, and the other part was just hoping that this would be the start of many more to come. Having posted the finished image up on my Instagram, I remember feeling very, very, VERRRYYY nervous - whether the designer would like it, whether it was true to the garment or brand, whether it did the dress justice. And for those of you (the two readers I have) wondering what happened...Fahad, the designer himself chose to publish it and thought it was a beautifully done illustration. Needless to say I had an ear-to-ear grin for a whole week!