Sarah Martinon located in Paris has started her creative studio in 2017. She has a unique sense for designing patterns and creating digital art. When asked about her inspiration about drawing.
"Each one of my drawings has a different source of inspiration, even though I’m obsessed with some specific sources or periods like London 70’s fashion store Biba, Harlin Quist children books, my grandmother’s country house wallpapers and landscapes, JG Ballard’s short stories, Hans Hollein, Michael Graves, Adolf Loos architecture, Mario Bellini, Josef Hoffmann, Gabriella Crespi’s designs, Push Pin Studio’s designs, La Comtesse de Ségur tales, Dario Argento movies, and so much more. The link between all those references and the main purpose in most of my designs is the idea of creating immersive atmospheres and focusing on textures and tactility, as whether books, wallpapers, frescos, patterns or visual identities. "
After creating some digital design Sarah started working with fashion brand to press her patterns on clothes. French brand Françoise wanted to collaborate with Sarah for their FW20 collection.
"When Johanna Senyk and I began to talk about Françoise FW20 collection, she said she wanted to create a wardrobe for Françoise trip to Russia. I saw the opportunity to pay tribute to Léon Bakst whose work I’m fascinated with, as whether theatrical costumes or sets and sets studies he designed for Ballets Russes. This pattern shows dancers legs on stage and is directly inspired by Bakst costumes designs and art of dress.
Ballets Russes still enchant me and another landscape inspired by Bakst’s « Decor » will soon be released as a wallpaper for a fine wallcovering editor…
Françoise went to Miami this summer. the patterns I designed for SS20 collection were inspired by Miami’s skyline and sunsets. Those windy silky palm trees and their light pink refer to « persistance of vision » phenomena happening when you look too long at sunsets. Johanna wanted Françoise to feel like Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface going to a party at Versace Mansion. The burgundy panthers hidden in the trees were a reference to the french roots of Françoise and iconic 70’s Cartier."
Sarah draws inspiration from variety of sources and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has become a source of inspiration for creating the her project with AD.
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland remains one of my recurrent obsessions and inspired my Carte Blanche for AD during the lockdown in my dear friend’s house in Rambouillet forest. There were those dead boxwood clumps looking like balls of wool in the garden, and those very beautiful thin high trees across my bedroom windows.
I spent afternoons daydreaming looking at them, trying to work while my daughter was sleeping and while I was re reading for the x time Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. Remember the mad race of Alice and the Red Queen standing still? This was the main feeling I had during the lockdown. The colors, the soft aspects of the trees, everything comes from the idea of cuddling up and let your mind wonder in those bucolic landscapes. "
Sarah’s creative studio is fairly new and she has gained success quickly. The creative work she has done has opened new doors to her and her favorite projects are yet to come.
"Last year, I had the opportunity to work on a life-dream project which was to design and illustrate Gallimard and Musée d’Orsay special republication of iconic decadent 1884 Joris-Karl Huysmans’s novel « À rebours ». I had the chance to design the whole book, create psychedelic marbled papers, inspired illustrations for chapter openings and chose amazing imagery setting the atmosphere of this ultimate decadent "bible" along with Stéphane Guégan and André Guyaux who prefaced the novel. This book has fascinated me since such a long time that I really can tell it was a life-dream project!"
"This fall, I may have the chance to work on several dream projects. One would be to create a 100 m2 fresco in the staircase of a late 19th century private mansion, the other to design a stained glass window for a private apartment. Two projects giving me the opportunity to work with talented craftsmen. Designing my awaken dream for AD this spring was kind of dream too!"
Legends for pictures :
Portrait Photo © Maxime Leyvastre
1• L’Odyssée panoramic wallpaper designed for Christian Lacroix Maison, imagined with Sacha Walckhoff
2• & 3• Françoise Paris Fall Winter 2020 Collection Patterns. Model Julia Banas. Photo © Image Group, Parent Global
4• & 5• Françoise SS20 Collection Patterns.
6• & 7• Françoise Paris Spring Summer 2020 Collection Patterns.
Model Hayett Mc Carthy. Photo © Lucas Christiansen
8• Carte Blanche designed for AD Magazine
9• Detail from L’Odyssée wallpaper designed for Christian Lacroix Maison, imagined with Sacha Walckhoff
10• Ribbons with Malachite wallpaper
