60 Seconds With: Georgina Trestler
During one of our strolls through Instagram, we discovered the illustrative work of Georgina Trestler and were immediately seduced by her whimsical style and wanted to share it with you guys.
Georgina's portraits and designs are inspired by friends, family, fashion, art, travel and all things creative. We caught up with her to get a glimpse into her life with 10 quick questions...
How did you get started in illustration?
When I was a kid my Mother and my Sister both used to model and I would draw pictures of them… kind of started from that!
How would you describe your illustration style?
My tutor at Central St Martins once said I was too commercial, but to be honest, I absolutely love beautiful products, purposeful brands and conscious consumerism, so I take that as a compliment! I also make time to create more personal pieces for myself, my style has also been called whimsical, playful ….
Where do you find inspiration?
I live in South East London – I just try and soak up everything I like there. I travel a couple of times of year. My husband and I recently took our little boy to Lisbon, Portugal. There was this bonkers castle there called Sintra, it was painted yellow, since then I have wanted to wear a lot of yellow, illustrate with yellow and have yellow flowers all over my house.
What's your fave piece of work?
The five illustrations I made for ‘A Short Story’. A Short Story are a beautiful female-led jewellery brand who launched at Stylist Live in November of last year. I created portraits of some of the woman who inspire us, including Cher, Diana Vreeland, Talitha Getty, Nancy Cunard and Peggy Guggenheim all wearing the beautiful statement jewellery curated by the brand.
What ethical brands have you drawn for?
Postcards Home is an online shop that also does pop ups, it gathers together homeware and accessories from independent designers and social enterprises. www.postcardshome.co.uk I was honoured when they asked me to design their logo. Since then I have also been commissioned for their Instagram page as well as prints and cards. The last range I did for them was at Christmas, it included a card with the statement ‘Sparkly clothes are for life not just for Christmas’.
Another favourite ethical brand I have worked with who I originally met at the London Design Festival which I attend every year is Glow and See High Vis knitwear. They make the most gorgeous colourful hats and snoods for adults and kids, made in London. www.glowandsee.com
Your fashion must have?
Currently a yellow Anthropology hair band because I like it and I am growing out a fringe I had cut on impulse.
Favourite item in your wardrobe?
It changes, partly because I am 5 months pregnant at the moment so nothing fits, but a green shirt-dress with pink tigers on it. Can wear it with trainers or heals.
What's your take on shopping sustainably?
It is the only way forward for the environment. Personally from a selfish and practical point of view I don’t have the disposable income or space to by hoards of pieces. I’d rather have one Equipment silk shirt and put it on again and again than a load of Top Shop one’s that don’t last and I can’t fit in my wardrobe anyway. I follow instagram accounts like @n4mummy to try and get tips and inspiration on sustainability.
Do you shop second hand?
Yes, luckily because I live in London there are amazing charity shops. To me it is like guilt free shopping. Some of my favourite charity shop purchases include a Coach handbag from Mary’s Living and Giving in Blackheath, YSL sunglasses (which I since lost) from Oxfam Kings Road, Silk Equipment polka dot trousers and red Jaeger Jacket from the Octavia shop on High St Ken (that I wore to Stylist Live). My best friend got a pair of Nike trainers from Mary’s Living and Giving in Bermondsey (the one opposite the Fashion and Textile Museum) the other week, I was very jealous they didn’t have my size!
I do also have my eye on a Charlotte Elizabeth backpack, she is a brand I would love to work with and so current. I doubt any of her pieces are in charity shops yet so I will just save up. I’d also like a pair of Camilla Elphick boots.
Life motto?
I read a lot of books, a couple years ago my Brother-in-Law the artist Lucian Trestler lent me a book of Christina Rossetti poems that I hadn’t read since I was in school. My favourite quote from it and now one of my life mottos is ‘ Don’t crave the rose if you can’t handle the thorns’.