Attention, all you doodlers! You just might have oodles of talent! If not…at least this has been true for people such as Gregg Maragelis, an art and design facilitator at the Cape Town College of Fashion Design: “I love drawing. Full stop. Especially doodling.”

Having been in the beauty and fashion industry for about 22 years,

Gregg’s seen many South African manufacturers close down due to merchandise being imported.

“However, recently there’s been a growing interest in South African design, and design opportunities are fantastic,” he says. “Many companies employ freelance designers or illustrators.”

With his Fine Art degree and diploma in Fashion Design, which he earned from the Cape Tech (now known as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) and the University of Cape Town respectively, this 43-year-old regards himself as an artist. “I paint in my spare time and at my core I’m first an artist.” And, he says, the glamour of a job is the social aspect or events you’re able to attend.

As an art and design facilitator he teaches others the skills required to become a fashion illustrator – drawing clothing (fashion) designs on paper. Having been a fashion illustrator himself, he remembers his first illustration being a range for a couturier –

According to the Ultimate Career Guide, a fashion illustrator uses creativity and the technical skill of painting and drawing by hand or by special computer programmes (such as CAD – computer-aided design) to conceptualise illustrations of fashion-related apparel and accessories. An illustrator will also work very closely with clients, in order to obtain the correct brief and then produce illustrations accordingly.

Fashion illustrators have the opportunity to express their artistic ability and flair and, as Gregg points out, it can be very sustainable as a freelance career. But on the flipside, in order to be a successful illustrator, one has to be very disciplined, ready for

 long hours and willing to deal with difficult clients. The market is very competitive but there’s a demand for skilled illustrators.

Gregg’s students have a dual purpose: not only do they inspire him, but they challenge him. Despite teaching his students, he also has to get round to doing research and of course paperwork. This career is very deadline-driven and fashion illustrators operate under immense pressure. For Gregg, planning is key. “Deadlines and pressure are avoided through good time management and planning. Know that what you set out to do each day is probably not going to happen and 20 more things will be added in a day, so compensate for them.” He thinks people who are compassionate, informed, disciplined and intuitive can flourish in this occupation and says that those with a lack of self-confidence should rather skip this round.

Sandra Maritz