Skip to content

You're currently viewing our UK store. Based on your location, we recommend visiting our store for the best experience

Go to store Click here to stay on this store
Bag
Looking to recycle your unwanted clothes?
Your bag is empty.

#FCCreators: Day in the life of illustrator, Rachel McCulloch

Author Editor - 3 minute read

In 2020, we launched our Community Connection campaign – a global initiative where we swapped French for ‘Community’, supporting, and celebrating our local and wider communities.  

As a branch of our Community Connection campaign, for spring summer we’re celebrating and putting the spotlight on creative talents, artists and inspiring individuals, forming our community of #FCCreators. 

 

Created for you. Designed by our creators.

This season, we've teamed up with our #FCCreators to create exclusive one-of-a-kind pieces, designed in collaboration with our creator and artist community.

Our next #FCCreator collaboration comes from Brighton based illustrator and fashion designer, Rachel McCulloch. We caught up with Rachel to discuss her typical day in the life and her creative process behind her 'I connect, therefore I am' illustration that adorns one of our SS22 t-shirts.

Scroll to discover more...




Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind your ‘I connect, therefore I am’ illustration for our French Connection t-shirt?

The illustration was inspired by the spring summer imagery. I loved the 'connection' shown with the model's entwined poses. The sense of sunlight streaming down was very engaging.




As part of this collaboration, Rachel has created an exclusive t-shirt for our SS22 collection. 

 

 

I Connect Boy Fit T-shirt 


What illustrative techniques and tools did you use to create this illustration?

I used my iPad and Apple pencil to develop this illustration. I focused on soft graphite pencil and watercolour effects to create a soft and natural sensibility. The text was then hand drawn across the top of the illustration.






Our campaign is about the connections we make with the environment, nature and communities – how important are these connections to you?

The older I get, the more important I realise these elements are to our lives and our well-being. I can be guilty of living at such a fast pace that my engagement with nature and my community can be neglected if I'm not careful. I try and be mindful of my choices and the impact these have on the world about me and this definitely extends towards my community and taking care of those I find myself living alongside. I love that French Connection is drawing a focus onto these ideas of connectivity.




A typical day in the life of illustrator, Rachel McCulloch

 

8am - This part of the day is a mad blur of getting everyone dressed, fed, bags packed, shoes on and out the door to nursery, school, work etc!

 

10am - I will already have been at my desk for an hour, hopefully I'll have a good coffee on the go and some good music on loud. I'll be working through my inbox and planning my day.

 

 

 

12pm - I will probably be mid-way through panicking about the progress (or lack of progress) of an illustration I'm working on at this stage! My desk will be covered in books that I'm referencing, artists I love will be pinned all over my computer desktop, paper with compositions and practice sketches will likely be all over the floor.

 

2pm - By now I will either have made a breakthrough with an illustration I'm working on and I will be buzzing, adding colour, playing with scale and crops and thinking I have the best job in the world - or I will be getting really desperate and wondering why I chose an art GCSE and if I shouldn't just apply for a job at the local coffee shop.

 

 

 

4pm - I usually take a break, collect my children, take a walk with them to clear all our heads and shake out some energy. They often both join me at the desk once we're home and we all draw some more together.

 

7pm - The children are in bed, My husband will be home and it's time for me to get back to my desk. I'm most productive at night and I usually find this is when an artwork really comes together. I love the quiet hours of the evening and often get totally lost in my artwork. 

 

9pm - It's time now to package up the illustration, and send it onto the client, ready for my morning deadline. Some days are filled with meeting clients and researching, visiting galleries etc, then some other days are filled with admin and invoicing. I love the variety of my days and getting to work doing something I love.

 

Shop the t-shirt now