Elyse Blackshaw is a London-based fashion illustrator, live event artist and educator from Manchester. Working with a diverse range of clients, her artwork is applied across fashion, retail, hospitality, sports.  Her illustrations are known for transforming marketing and events with their playful, vibrant and energetic qualities. 

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Manchester School of Art is where she developed a strong instinctive connection to colour, drawing and collage through fashion image‑making, whilst studying BA Hons Embroidery (2010-2013).  She later researched how fashion illustration can be used for positive social impact whilst completing MA Textiles (Mixed Media) at the prestigious Royal College of Art (2019-2021).  Her artwork has featured as large scale public installations exploring Future Fashion with Westfield London, accompanied a publication on fashion activism with Laurence King Publishing, and exhibited as contemporary fashion practice at Bleur Gallery. 

Elyse is a regular presence at London Fashion Week, where she has sketched live for selected designers who discuss political, social, environmental topics. Designers include: Stephen Jones Millinery, Ashish, Phoebe English, Lueder, Denzil Patrick, Edward Crutchley, Yaku, Shrimps, and Patrick McDowell. 

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Alongside commercial clients, Elyse is engaged with education and is currently a tutor at the Royal College of Art.  Outside of this role, she is committed to making fashion illustration more accessible by delivering fashion illustration workshops across all ages, abilities and environments.  She has supported Graduate Fashion Week since 2020 as both a workshop host and panel judge for the Fashion Illustration Award. ​ Beyond fashion education, Elyse has supported public and community arts initiatives such as London Borough of Culture (2025), and The British Library’s Fairy Tales exhibition (2026).

Based in London, she works with UK and international clients across live illustration, commissions, and workshops. Contact Elyse directly  at info@elyseblackshaw.com and follow her weekly updates at @elyseblackshaw

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Photograph of Elyse Blackshaw by MSSY

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