Alerte à Liège | Influenceuse belge | Blog Mode, Beauté, Food & Voyage

Lorsqu’on est curieux, Instagram réserve parfois de vrais coups de coeur artistiques. Il y a quelques jours, après avoir découvert et liké le travail de la talentueuse illustratrice russe Nastassja Oleinik, j’ai eu la surprise (et la chance!) qu’elle m’envoie en message privé sa version illustrée de mon dernier post Instagram avec Les Eaux de Chanel. Il ne m’en fallait pas plus pour me donner envie de vous présenter son travail. Depuis Saint-Pétersbourg, Nastassja s’est prêtée au jeu de l’interview. 7 questions pour apprendre à connaître cette amoureuse de Paris et tout savoir de ses bonnes adresses pétersbourgeoises et de ses plans pour cet été. In English, please! ❤

Hey, my name is Nastassja Oleinik and I’m fashion x architecture illustrator and designer. I’m 24 years old and I was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, but my parents are from Kharkiv, Ukraine. So, since my birth I’ve been living in two countries and been speaking at least 3 languages fluently : Russian, Ukrainian and English (my mother is an English teacher).

Last year, I got a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and Design. Architecture means a lot to me. You know, Fashion and Architecture have lots in common and that’s so great! I even made a research «F+A: Common points» for a University conference and wrote several articles about this theme for one fashion website.

I don’t know why I started fashion illustration. I’ve been painting all my life, you know, – since the age of 4. And never stopped. And always wanted to work in Fashion industry but there was no opportunity to study Fashion Design.

But there were two people who inspired me : Jae Suk Kim (Korean illustrator) and Megan Hess (Australian illustrator). When I first saw their works I thought : why not to try to do something like that? And I painted a Valentino dress. I still keep that artwork but I don’t think it was cool. But I loved the process of painting so I decided to continue. But it was nothing more than a kind of meditation. And I got my first important order, a portrait for Louis Vuitton St-Petersburg’s Manager Elena Knyazeva.

Last year, I tried a digital illustration using iPad. It was the first iPad 9,7″ combining with Apple Pencil. I started posting my artworks on Instagram more often… and got orders. And my first event ever : live-sketching at Dior New Year party. After that: painting for Grazia Magazine Spring Special Edition (Russia), Organic Shop and 3 new Dior events and personal order for Dior St-Peterbourg Manager’s Nikolay Yablonsky. And even for Radisson Royal St-Petersburg and Champs-Élysées!

And now I’m a full-time fashion x architecture illustrator and also designer : I work on brands’ visual aesthetics and branding.

Special rituals? Lot’s of coffee and delicious healthy food -haha-. I always listen to music while painting. I love Lounge, Jazz and music from the 80’s. I do not always work at home : you’d rather find me somewhere in the city center.

Fashion for me is not just about business, marketing or sales. It’s about years and years of history, art, architecture, social relationships and technical progress enclosed in textile.

Fashion is a huge idea. Idea of how we should look like, behave ourselves. And of course the idea of loving yourself and care about yourself. It’s an idea of a brand and its unique design code.Fashion answers the main social questions and follow social changes. Just like art does.

And of course fashion for me is an architecture in a smaller scale.

My favorite places are Petrogradsky District with its unique architecture. It’s also calmer than Nevsky Prospect (-editor’s note : on Nevsky Avenue, you can find all the luxury shops-) and you can hardly find here crowds of tourists.

I also like New Holland Island, Sevkabel Port and Vasilievsky Market –  modern public spaces.

The best places are Kuznya (New Holland Island), museums (The Hermitage Museum and The General Staff Building, The State Russian Museum, Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art), restaurants (Birch, Subziro, Petrov-Vodkin), coffee shops (Mad Espresso Team, Surf Coffee) and bars (Architect on Rubinstein Street).

And my secret (not really secret) place of pleasure : the Dior boutique.

Paris. You can love it or hate it. I love Paris with all my heart and soul and it will always be the city of my dreams.

Paris has its own magic. And this magic attracts each cell of your body, absorbs your mind. History hidden in the city streets, Gothic and Classic churches, Hausmann’s balconies, art, cozy cafes with amazing decorations, modern architecture, Montmartre and Tour Eiffel. All these things make Paris wonderful.

Summer. I have new cool projects. I’m going to Nice in the end of July to have some rest on the French Riviera! After that, back to Saint-Petersburg and a trip to the Ukraine to visit my grandparents.

My 5 essentials are:

❤ iPad and iPhone : work hard, play hard, watch serials harder! And I have to be online. Always.

❤ SPF-Crème and Fluide – Chanel and Kiehl’s are my favorite.

❤ Endless number of clothes and shoes – even 5-6 swimsuits!

❤ Printed photos of my parents, best friends and my beloved one : I’m not afraid of flying but they « help » me to concentrate when I travel by myself.

❤ Neatly packed documents  – I can lose or forget everything in a minute!

Photos: Nastassja Oleinik // Découvrez le travail de Nastassja Oleinik // Suivez-moi sur Instagram.