Fashion industry roles have been consistently changing over the years with the rise of technology and the ever growing list of industry roles being introduced. Knowing that she was going to break into this space, 18-year-old Natalie Ndlovu decided in 2021 that she would share her passion to those around her and put people on to designers and creatives she enjoys through her own Instagram account @natillustratestoo.
“I participated in a Watch & Chat film club run by the Glasgow School of Art's Widening Participation. We would watch short films about artists, designers, and architects before having a discussion about the variety of practitioners in various creative fields.” “The Watch & Chat sessions gave me the inspiration I needed to launch my own account, where I began to write about the artists and fashion designers that I love!”
The first creative who caught Natalie’s eye was Njideka Akunyili Crosby, a visual artist whose artwork stems and reflects on their homelife in Nigeria before moving abroad later on in life. Learning about Crosby's work in the Watch & Chat sessions is what prompted Natalie to open up her own Instagram account and create first post not yet knowing the creative world she would soon unveil. Natalie envisioned natillustratestoo to be a place where she could spread the word about fashion designers and artists she admires, a platform that would share their stories.
As natillustratestoo developed further, the fashion presence began to take a stronger lead on her account with the Highlights taking form as a digital moodboard. At first glance, each highlight is simply a collection of brands. However, when analysing each slide, you’ll realise the familiarities each brand has with each other. Natalie’s eye on elements such as fabric texture, silhouettes, fashion subculture is carefully selected to curate a story that blends together seamlessly.
Each brand works as a stand alone, however, natillustratestoo gives people options. The art of sourcing distinct brands and then compiling them in a way that makes sense is a skill that industry stylists collaborate on with market editors to create outfits. This all came naturally to Natalie as she expressed her initial interest in fashion to me: “I've always admired and tried to match my mother's sense of style in my appearance. My childhood involved styling items from her closet and trying them on. I immediately realised how much I adored fashion and how outfits could completely transform your appearance.”
When asked what catches her eye first when looking out for brands, Natalie discloses, “I adore eccentric clothing—outstanding outfits that make people wonder why they would wear anything like that outside. Brightly coloured attire also catches my attention; I want clothing that is lively and stands out from the crowd.”
Although opportunities are appearing now in which she is able to share her interest to the people around her, living in Scotland has proved to have caused some limitations in her craft. “Being creative in Scotland can make it difficult to collaborate on projects with others because it can be hard to locate people who share my aspirations. Most of the people I’ve featured on my account have been located in other parts of the world. However, it is encouraging to know that there are people in Scotland who share the same interests as me, especially with the rise of more creative platforms like ZAZA the Zine and a host of others.”“I hope the day comes when you can succeed in the industry without having to relocate to major cities– I picture Scotland as a place where you can network with people right where you are.”
Some of the Scottish creatives who caught Natalie’s eye the most are Holly Macleod Designs, Starboy, Pray 4 Them, and M4 by Bemz. Her interest in art doesn’t falter either as she shared “Incredibly talented Scottish painters I like include Noella Abba, Robyn McIntosh, and Matt Perkins too!”
Natalie shares with g0ldt33th that her goal for 2023 is to take her Instagram account further and to become a fashion stylist in 2023. “It’s my passion and my number one ambition, so I'm striving to pursue that!”
Make sure to follow natillustratestoo on Instagram here.
