Elyse Blackshaw is a London-based artist and fashion illustrator whose work explores the energy of fashion through expressive line, layered textures, and instinctive mark-making. Her practice translates movement and emotion into bold visual narratives that capture the excitement of contemporary culture.

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Elyse studied BA (Hons) Embroidery at Manchester School of Art (2013), where she discovered her connection to drawing and image-making, before completing an MA in Textiles, Mixed Media at the Royal College of Art (2019). Since then, her fashion illustration has evolved into creating immersive artworks that transform events and live experiences.

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Her signature style, defined by fluid black lines and a playful approach to colour and mixed-media, has attracted a wide range of collaborations. She has worked with leading clients including Samsung, Selfridges, The Shard, Traid, the British Library, Winsor & Newton, Strathberry, Shrimps, New Balance, Cass Art, and the London Edition Hotel.

 

Elyse is also a regular presence at London Fashion Week, where she has  illustrated live for designers such as Shrimps, Patrick McDowell, Stephen Jones Millinery, Edward Crutchley and Ashish. In 2024 she was named a featured SHOWstudio artist.

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Her work has been recognised through key exhibitions and awards, including the Signature Art Prize 2020/21 at Bankside Gallery, London College of Fashion’s "Unseen Faces and Figures" (2024), and Bleur Gallery’s "Elegance in Refusal". She was Winner of the Westfield London Future Fashion Award for Illustration (2021) and continues to be celebrated as a dynamic voice in contemporary fashion illustration.

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Alongside her practice, Elyse contributes to the field through education and industry engagement. She has served as a Graduate Fashion Week Judge for the Fashion Illustration Award (since 2023), and has taught as Visiting Lecturer at Manchester School of Art and Manchester Fashion Institute, as well as Lecturer at the University for the Creative Arts. 

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Photograph by Marlon Martinez