Elisa Lee Is An Artist Who Illustrates “Body Positivity” In Women’s Fashion

Illustrations by Elisa Lee

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Written by Cassell Ferere

Elisa Lee has great artistic talent and a very interesting take on fashion and the depiction of beauty. She is a Korean born illustrator and an Otis College of Art and Design graduate, located in Los Angeles, California. 

Lee is someone who sees the diversity in fashion as her muse. Growing up in Korea, Elisa has only recently been introduced to the American fashion market and feels that fashion is drawing up great avenues of expression for all to benefit.

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Triptych: Jillian Mercado

Notably, Elisa’s time in Korea, transitioning to the states, has made her see the contrast of her upbringing. Priming her worldview of fashion and how diverse it can be. This is what has influenced her to create an illustrative art series called "Body Positivity" which represents the different types of women who crave fashion regularly. Korean trends follow a certain template, not just of the demographic but even the size of the women. 

“As a Korean, I think it is great to see the United State's fashion industry because Korea's fashion industry still lacks inclusivity. Considering the fact that most of the customers are not size 0 or 2, I believe it is great to see more [diversity],”

says Elisa. 

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Triptych: Mama Cāx

She acknowledges the influential factor in fashion and considers it as most inspiring. The views Elisa shares of fashion is one that embraces individuality and offers “a way to express yourself and make yourself look beautiful regardless of your flaws.”

Triptych: Stacy Paris

Body Positivity is a series of illustrations that display the beauty shared throughout human beings and fashion. Depictions of actual people who range in physical beauty from size to physical disabilities like skin disorders and genetic disorders. 

Elisa, being minimal in her fashion style, reaches for lots of colors when creating her art. She has a canny ability to represent the different varieties of women with a vibrance that makes them pop from the page as stylish, recessing the physical ailments and disabilities of the subjects.

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Skin Disorder: Storm Dovê (Vitiligo), Diandra Forrest (Albinism), and Svetlana Alekseeva (Burn Victim)

Her art is purely inspired by fashion and the social media fashion style and presentation. That everyday quality is what she captures in her illustrations, providing a surreal draped and sometimes patterned backdrops these subjects occupy in her work. 

Plus-Size: [Back] Clémentine Desseaux, Tess Holliday, Ashley Graham. [Front] Barbie Ferreira and Paloma Elsesser

Everyday life is where she finds the varying textures, patterns, colors, and shapes that pop up in her work. "Body Positivity" shows true beauty regardless of any size discretion or disabilities such as physical, or skin disorders, and genetic disorders.  

Genetic Disorder: Harnaam Kaur (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Madeline Stuart (Down Syndrome)

As for her triptych design, the flowered background is nasturtium and nemophila, meaning “victory.” The “Body Positive” series is inspired by the new direction of the fashion industry where the designers, brands, and advertisers are accepting and including more diverse models. Elisa’s muses represent the different sizes and disabilities that some women bare; women who seek to feel beautiful through fashion. 

You can visit elisaillustration.com to check out the full series of illustrations by Elisa. You can also follow her on Instagram @elisa_illust to keep up with new work and exhibits featuring her illustrations.

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