GIANT STEPS
GIANT STEPS is a celebration of innovation in both fashion and character design. Conceived as a coffee table book mockup for Taschen, this piece blends editorial storytelling with dynamic digital illustration. I describe this hybrid approach as “character fusion”— which involves the merging of fictional characters with real-world fashion influences to create visual narratives that honor cultural touchstones while pushing creative boundaries.
Execution
Illustration: Drawn in Procreate with layered textures and strong linework to balance style and realism.
Editing: Final composition, color balancing, and typography refinement done in Adobe Illustrator.
Format: Designed as a Taschen-style hardcover dust jacket, evoking collectable art book culture.
Concept Development
The two central figures are inspired by Hanifa’s SS23 collection and A$AP Rocky, each rendered with expressive movement and a bold color palette. The left character exudes confidence and grounded femininity, her sunlit presence paired with flowing lines and soft yet powerful body language. The right character channels kinetic energy, stepping into action under a cascade of golden starbeams—an homage to streetwear and charisma.
Fashion as Storytelling
By placing these characters in a staged editorial scene surrounded by oversized boxes. The collection of these boxes are colorized to represent various brands like: Louis Vuitton, Nike, Gucci and more. The design reframes fashion as a playground for identity-making. The piece reflects the “atelier” as not just a workspace but a mindset—where craftsmanship, culture, and personality intersect.
Cultural & Artistic Influence
The book jacket’s playful exaggeration of scale, symbolic props, and energetic poses echo the traditions of fashion illustration while infusing them with the dynamism of comic-inspired character art. In fusing the elegance of runway aesthetics with the kinetic energy of pop culture icons, GIANT STEPS sits at the crossroads of Afrofuturistic optimism, streetwear authenticity, and editorial fantasy.