DSO: Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to launch your own studio. 
CP: I studied fashion in São Paulo and took extension classes in Italy. After working as a cool hunter for some brands, I realized that I wanted to understand how major labels build solid brands. That's when I decided to get a specialisation in branding. I worked for branding agencies for years until I decided to run my own studio as an illustrator.

 

DSO: We love your bold use of colour and distinctive style. Where do you source inspiration for your designs?
CP: My country, my life and people I know are always an important sources of inspiration as well as music, movies and fashion. Whenever I have time, I like to get a car and explore interesting places that are not far away from where I live. Of course, I enjoy visiting foreign countries, but I believe people tend to forget or disregard places, people and cultures that sometimes are close to them. It is incredible how one might find good sources of inspiration just by looking around, paying attention to what is going on in his or her own neighbourhood, city or country. 

 

DSO: How have you managed to combine your background in high fashion with your talent for design and illustration?
CP: I've always been interested in visuals, so I ended up in the world of fashion. It took me a little while to find my path in illustration. At first I was enchanted with fashion illustration and in fashion school, I discovered that I loved to draw. In fact, I loved that, with illustration, I could create images and express all my imagination without limits.

I realized I could combine the two things that I was passionate about: fashion and illustration Later, while working with branding, my attention was again drawn to images and illustrations. Indeed, I was frequently studying what my clients were creating to use in their campaigns, logos, packages etc. I remember of having a lot of insights and ideas about the illustrations, though I was not then working as an illustrator.

 

DSO: How would you describe your personal aesthetic?
CP: My style is very pop. Colours and clean lines are very crucial in my work and there must always be a narrative, a story or feeling. I think my aesthetic is not separated from my sources of inspiration as well. Since I live in a tropical country, with a population descending from a wide range of races and cultures, including immigrants coming from different places such as Europe, Africa and Asia, I believe that it would be inevitable that my work would somehow combine, as it combines, different styles of illustration or mix, as it mixes, different elements in the same composition.

 

DSO: What can we expect to see in future for your designs and illustrations? 
CP: I am currently working on my second book with a British publishing house. The book will be released in the beginning of next year. I can only say that would be quite amazing. And more exciting collaborations with fashion brands are coming very soon.