FORGET ME NOT COCO
Forget Me Not was founded by art director and designer Coco whose signature style mixes several techniques, combining old-school processes such as painting and hand-drawing with modern digital tools.
After five years studying fine arts in Paris, Coco forged a successful career as a communication consultant for French and Belgian up-and-coming fashion designers and leading couture houses. She went on to build a name for herself in London as a fashion illustrator, creating imagery for major retail brands and publications spanning both the independent and mainstream press, including Vogue, ELLE, Nylon and Muse, before creating Forget Me Not.
She now works as a fashion, pattern and product designer as well as taking on commissions in illustration and art direction. Her work has been published in numerous publications including Taschen, Gestalten, Victionary and exhibited in London, Los Angeles and Barcelona. Big thanks to james for introducing me to coco.
Find out more about Coco's work on cocopit.biz, and follow her on;
Coco what are your greatest inspirations?
My inspiration come from a wide variety of places and sources. Each season, I try to choose a different theme picked amongst my personal interests in the visual arts, literature, myths, history and natural landscapes. I have trained in fine arts at the Beaux Arts de Paris so art and design will always influence my work. I tend to work from a wide range of sources that have their basis in modern iconography, Bauhaus or Art Deco. I am also lucky to travel a lot, and take a lot of inspiration from it.
What would be a Dream Collaboration for you coco?
The most important aspect is the project to be honest . Of course I have some ideas and there companies that I love. I would love to make a sportswear collaboration for instance, but also more interior design like rugs, wallpaper and ceramics. In the end, what matters most is the quality of the product.
Challenges of Starting " Forget me NOt"?
When I set up Forget me not, I was based in the UK , and it is much easier to set up a business in London compared to Paris, plus people were really enthusiastic at the beginning. I started to make illustrations and a friend suggested to create scarves. Now the studio is in complete evolution and we create print for a wide range of items.
What has been one of the most interesting projects you've worked on so far?
It is difficult to choose. I adore the brand of my friend Seilenna (Seilenna.com). I have done the print work for her collection.
Baccarat was also really interesting to work with. I love the Art déco style and it was a great chance to make some prints for them in a completely different style.
Fashion or design icons in your opinion?
I love Miuccia Prada and Ray Kawakubo,
I also love Alessandro Michele for Gucci and the Valentino guys.
Favorite websites or social media handles?
I love pinterest a lot and it is just great. I have all of my boards on it and I really do get a lot of inspiration there and from Tumblr and of course instagram. But pinterest helps me organize information and allows me to see the trends as well. It’s just a great way to mix and combine images.
any advice for someone breaking into the fashion industry?
The most important part is to be curious, creative, as well as passionate!
Creative as in going beyond your boundaries, limits and inspiration. Passionate because you need to give it all you have as it is so hard now to get people’s attention and make a name for yourself.
There are so many great designers that having your own distinctive style really is a must nowadays.
Anything else you would like to share about yourself coco?
I started to make print for chocolate packaging - compartes.com - and in the future I plan to take more time to create installations and windows display with my company www.inoui.io
