samantha's style

One of my favorite illustrations: "Cupcake Tosser"

Welcome to the new and updated TrustYourStyle site! Please take a look around--if you've missed any reviews or great interviewees, now you can view them just by clicking on the left panel. I thought this would also be a great day to have Samantha Hahn (who just created the new illustrations for my line and website) stop by for a chat. Hope you enjoy!


Samantha and her dog Pita

mj: How would you describe your own style?

samantha: I love vintage, especially things from the 30s and 70s. I look for a nice silhouette. I'm not into billowy. Everything I have is fitted at the waist, or I belt it. I go for soft and delicate fabrics when it comes to dresses and tops. I prefer an eclectic mix of vintage/vintage-inspired, a bit sporty, and I'm always wearing jeans. Comfort is key, so I stick to 3" heels or shorter.



mj: Does fashion inspire or influence your work?

samantha: One of my favorite artists is Gustav Klimt. His work is incredibly stylized, and it incorporates textile-like patterns and designs. I often look to the glossies (vintage and modern) for inspiration as well. I was so inspired by Daisy perfume by Marc Jacobs I decided to make an illustration as an homage to it...so, yes, fashion's a big influence.



mj: I know you are a painter as well as an illustrator--how do you balance the two?

samantha: The difference is smaller than people might think. In fact, I often incorporate painting as a part of my illustration technique. On a certain level, illustration is more concrete and conceptual, and painting is more internal, instinctual. But with either practice I get my catharsis, whether I'm tweaking a small watercolor illustration digitally, or sketching out a large canvas oil painting. In both cases, the figure is my true focus.



mj: Could you talk a little about how growing up with a mom who did illustration influenced you as an artist? (I think that's so cool!).

samantha: For one thing, I had a drawing table to work at all day on the weekends. I always saw her getting jobs from magazines and books and I often got to pose for her Polaroid reference shots (boy have things changed in the digital age). I have always admired her art and her ability to earn a living from her passion. She's always supported me with praise and feedback, and I never lacked for paper and pencils!



mj: What is your favorite project that you've designed so far?

samantha: I created a series of paintings on women's issues around eating. That was really personal for me and interesting to talk about with other people, particularly to hear their perceptions and interpretations of the work through their own lenses. I also really loved working with you creating illustrations for your clutches and earrings. It got me back to working the way I love and to the realization that I want to pursue illustration more than painting or anything else. Plus it was a very fun collaboration between designer and artist.



mj: In terms of your drawing style, who are your influences and how did you develop your style?

samantha: Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Andy Warhol's fashion illustrations, Lisa Yuskavage, and I always loved the Katy Keene comics when I was little. I can't really tell where my style developed; I've just always drawn. I suppose some of it came from my mom and some just from doing what I felt compelled to do and seeing what I've seen in magazines, books, museums, comics, the world etc.



mj: Do you have new projects that you're working on?

samantha: Currently I'm just plugging away at building a portfolio. I must have done over 50 new illustrations for it on top of the stuff I did for the TYS site and Mary Jo Matsumoto line but I just feel compelled to keep going and going. Hopefully I keep that momentum. I also just did some illustrations for an online magazine. I'm doing a drawing a day for a month and posting it on Drawmo! And I'm doing a logo for a blogger.



mj: What would your ideal project be?

samantha: I would love to do some fashion illustration for some designers I love and some magazine stuff. As long as I'm making art I'm really happy. Dream project would be if Marc Jacobs called me up and told me I could do 100 illustrations for his new clothing, perfume, and accessories line. Ah, to dream big.

Here are A FEW THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SAMANTHA HAHN:




A) THE FOUR MOST STYLISH PEOPLE THAT INFLUENCED ME:

1 My friend Violet who always expresses a personal style that's vintage inspired and eclectic.
2 My mom from the 60s--80s (The image that comes to mind is her in a vintage fabric Norma Kamali dress, I have it now).
3 I've always been inspired by street style, especially in New York, so the answer is New Yorkers.
4 I love Maggie Gyllenhaal's style. She's so natural, beautiful, and interesting. She expresses that through the way she carries herself and what she wears. I do love her in that gorgeous midnight blue gown.


B) FOUR WAYS THAT STYLE MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

1 I think that style is an extension of our desire to express ourselves artistically or at least aesthetically.
2 It's a non-verbal form of communication that speaks to people sometimes more powerfully than spoken language.
3 It can inspire us from one art form to another. I am often drawn to certain colors and patterns in clothing that appear into my artwork. Music and film and fashion often feed off each other in a beautiful symbiotic way.
4. It can make people feel good about themselves.


C) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE DESIGNERS

1 Marc Jacobs
2 Rebecca Taylor
3 Nanette Lepore
4 Rachel Pally and Mint are in a tie


D) FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:

1 Art Teacher
2 Babysitter
3 Assistant photo editor at a magazine
4 Freelance illustrator


E) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER (AND DO):

1 Babette's Feast
2 Dune
3 The Princess Bride
4 Dark Crystal



F) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED:

1 98th St. and Broadway
2 82nd St. Btw Westend and Riverside
3 103rd St. Between Broadway and Amsterdam
4 32nd St/ Between Lexington Ave. and 3rd. Ave.


G) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:

1 Weeds
2 Fraggle Rock
3 Tales of the City
4 Friday Night Lights


H) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS:

1 Paris (second only to New York City)
2 Italy (Cinque Terre, Florence, Milan, Turin)
3 Vancouver via Seattle
4 San Francisco and surrounding areas like Big Sur (glorious)


I) FOUR WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY (Or at least Weekly): TYS is a given, here are some others that I love:

1 Moldawer in the Morning (my husband's podcast and blog)
2 Shiny Squirrel
3 Laissez-faire and Oh Joy are in a tie
4 Art MOCO


J) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:

1 Chocolate and things with chocolate in them like cupcakes and cookies and pecan pie with ganache.
2 French macaroons, coffee flavor, chocolate, pistachio.
3 Omelettes with broccoli and sundried tomatoes.
4 Kale, cooked crispy and brussel sprouts with lemon juice on them (I snuck extra stuff in because they're in the same category: Cruciferous vegetables.


K) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:

1 In my fantasy studio in Brooklyn Heights with the sunlight streaming in on my huge drawing table and massive built in bookcases (oh how I covet the idea of built-ins).
2 A serene mountaintop with a beautiful view, maybe Cadillac Mountain in Maine.
3 Lunetta, one of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn (I'm going tonight).
4 At my parent's house on the porch in the summer watching fireflies flicker in the dark.

Thanks Samantha! To see more of Samantha's illustrations go to www.samanthahahn.com and check out her blog Maquette.