ABOUT THE ARTIST: Pippa McManus has emerged as one of Australia’s best-known fashion illustrators after a decade of professional work in the industry.

McManus began studying fine arts in Perth in 2000 before transitioning into fashion and textile design. She soon discovered she felt at home with a foot in both art and fashion, and began to carve out a niche in fashion illustration. By 2005, McManus began participating in group shows and promoting her work through social media.

It was a community project with Perth artist Stormie Mills that led to a series of collaborations with other notable artists and designers from Australia and the rest of the world. After Mills selected McManus and her business partner Leon Krasenstein to be a part of his group exhibition at L.A’s Scion Gallery in 2007, McManus caught the eye of Perth fashion designer Aurelio Costarella. Their collaboration saw McManus illustrate the invites for Costarella’s New York Fashion Week show.

But McManus’ first big break came when she was asked to illustrate the 2009 campaign of luxury jeweller Linney’s. Her work for the Perth pearl company led to commissions from a string of Australia’s top fashion and lifestyle brands, including Ellery, Urban Walkabout, Dusk and Manning Cartell. McManus was also commissioned to create a series of in-store murals for the likes of Zara Bryson, Chick & Kent, Zomp and Rummage.