David Yza, illustrating style

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After studying graphic design at La Salle University, David Yza always knew his path would be in the fashion scene. From his first sketches in high school, his style showed special attention to costumes and their exquisite details. The villains and their glamorous costumes inspired him to learn different techniques and achieve the majestic effects of sublime lines and textures that define his style. Learn more about this new talent in the world of fashion.

How was your entry into the world of fashion?

Through Instagram. About ten years ago, I began to focus on fashion illustration and add it to my design work.

I worked at a publisher that did children’s books and other work. Sensing I wanted to escape corporate life, a friend introduced me to Jordi Labanda’s art because my work reminded her of his. As I started to follow him and discover that world, I started looking for other fashion illustrators and getting inspired by them to improve my style to create a visual library and help me capture something and mix it with Instagram as a work tool.

With patience and persistence, people I didn’t know began to arrive and with whom I began to relate. In addition, I continued to persist in the creative part as a designer, and in the agency where I worked, I tried to include my work as an illustrator when possible. Sometimes I did some lettering. And, sometimes, I had the chance to send illustrations to legendary figures, like one I gave to Cara Delevingne when she came to Mexico to present Valerian.

I also once had the opportunity to go to London. You could say that that’s where I got started in live sketching because a friend took me to an Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Unfortunately, it was impossible to get in. So, he took me to the cafeteria; and there, I began to illustrate to people. He pointed me to four girls whose images caught our eye. They noticed and liked my illustration. When my trip ended- and I returned to Mexico – one contacted me because she wanted the original since I had portrayed four generations of her family in that drawing. I think that was what motivated me to improve to illustrate faster.

How do you convey the textures of the fabrics and details of the designs in your illustrations?

It is fundamental to know the material and how it works on paper and to try and practice various techniques. And occasionally, it’s time to improvise with the materials you have on hand. And, sometimes, knowing how to use black and white to create nuances.

How did you come to collaborate with big companies like El Palacio de Hierro or Christian Dior?

It is the result of the sum of many moments. For example, once a friend tagged me in a Fashion Week Academy giveaway for a Fashion Branding course. I won it, I took the course – where they taught you how to make your brand – and at the time, I was already thinking of launching my line of accessories with pieces like bags or cushions with my illustrations. My concept was to take the art beyond the paper. Make art that people can wear and take with them.

When I was undecided about what to do, I found a group of illustrators created by Talía Cu from @drawlatinfashion, and meeting her gave rise to some of what I’m doing now. She wanted to make a community of Latino illustrators and artists to use her contacts and extend bridges to illustrators. On the platform, they sometimes applied for vacancies for activations of different brands, and I tried out for some.

The first one I got was for Steve Madden through the platform. The idea was to paint denim Tote bags for Mother’s Day. That was my first live activation. I was super nervous, but I dedicated myself to doing my thing. Among that many people. That was the first time working under pressure in front of that many people. The key is to observe and use your memory. With her, I also had to do my first catwalk illustration at a Fashion Week where the Kris Goyri and Pineda Covalín catwalk was over a bridge in Chapultepec. There I worked together with three other illustrators, and it was very nice to know that we had the attention of so many people. Even people with a lot of experience in this medium were surprised to see how quickly and well we captured everything that happened on the catwalk.

It takes a whole team to create a concept. Perhaps, over time, it will become a trend and mark some historical value to remember the time.

And where I think the panorama opened up for me was during the pandemic. During the critical months, when people couldn’t get together. By then, El Palacio de Hierro had ready to show the looks of the autumn/winter season. So, through their Yellow Book, they decided to present a collector’s edition with illustrators. I recall that we were eight illustrators who – after several meetings with the stylist- assigned us a concept. Mine was, Open the doors to style. So, they gave me looks to create the illustrations that eventually were used for various channels; publication, billboards, invitations, and more. Many of my pieces reached people I admire, like, Beatriz Calles. I, of course, was very aware of the Palacio de Hierro publications.

When I saw that she published a story with my illustration, I shared it joyfully because she said, David, what an honor to have one with you. And the truth is that from there, many things changed. It has been one of the most beautiful projects and one that I have enjoyed the most. Two months later, Talía Cu sought me out again for the activation of a new Dior line with theatrical colors. I have worked with them five times now, on different occasions. The ability to sketch quickly is very good for these opportunities.

Who would you like to work with in the future?

Dior goes beyond what I would have dreamed; I’d like to work with Iris Van Herpen or maybe with artists like Kylie Minogue, whom I have two likes for illustrations I have done for her. It would be a dream to do drawings for one of her music videos.