We’ve had our eye on Melbourne illustrator and designer Letitia Green (previously Letitia Buchan) for quite some time. Waaaaay back in 2011, we first interviewed Letitia – man, those were early days! THEN, In 2013 we re-connected, photographing Letitia’s colourful apartment in Prahran.
Since we last saw Letitia, she’s had a busy and tumultuous time. ‘In the past two years I’ve had a baby girl, moved to a new home in Melbourne’s bayside area, lost my father, seen my artwork used on a large scale in a public space for the first time, featured on The Block TV show quite a lot (haha!) and started a fashion label’ she says. ‘It’s been the most wonderful but tragic, exhilarating yet tiring, magical but also sad year of my life’ she says.
Letitia’s brave use of colour and pattern is her hallmark. It was her bold, highly detailed hand drawn illustrations which first caught our eye all those years ago, and she’s taken this aesthetic to another level with her latest project, a vibrant collection of silk scarves, featuring her distinctive hand illustrated designs.
Though her childhood years were spent growing up in Perth, Letitia spent her mid teens to early twenties living in South Africa with her family, and the landscape, people, crafts, and vibrant textiles she discovered during this time have left a lasting impression on Letitia’s creative practice.
‘My first scarf collection is inspired by the African landscape, flora and fauna etched into my mind and soul from when I lived in South Africa’ says Letitia. ‘The designs are heavily influenced by the music, fashion, people, culture and my memories of Africa, but I also have infused an eclectic splash of print and pattern reminiscent of the bright bursting colours of my homeland, Australia, too’ she continues. The designs are bursting with energy and glorious colour – a collage of hand drawn illustration, graphic print and pattern and painterly textures.
‘I am so excited to see the launch of this range’ says Letitia, who plans to focus all her creative energy on print, pattern and creative collaborations in 2015.
‘Moving forward, I am excited to focus on the present, start the year with a sense of clarity and vision, and only work on meaningful projects, as time is so very precious’ Letitia says.
Letitia Green Studio scarves are designed and printed in Sydney using 100% silk crepe, and are priced from $260. Check out the full range online here.