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Anja Huwe -
Alex Box -
David Vanian
The Art Team
To ensure that Illamasqua remains true to its roots and heritage, we have enlisted the help of three uniquely talented individuals, who we call our Art Team. Within the team, the worlds of alternative music, art, film and fashion collide, resulting in a melting pot of ideas and experiences. The role of this team has been fundamental to the development of Illamasqua and our mission to champion individuality and push the boundaries of creativity and self-expression.
Anja Huwe
An iconic musician and a hugely talented, successful contemporary artist.
Born in Germany, Anja now lives between Hamburg and New York, though her work takes her all over the globe. Her art is music on canvas.
“I paint music, I hear colour. My work is the synaesthetic translation of sounds and tone. My paintings can be heard with the eyes,” says Anja.
Her canvasses come together in a burst of textures and movement as she explores the sound of different colours, and creates harmonies and rhythms.
In the 1980s, Anja was the lead singer and front-woman of German band ‘X Mal Deutschland’, and significantly influenced the avant-garde days of the European New Wave culture. Anja travelled extensively, playing with her band all over the world. She soaked up different cultures and explored some of the world’s most influential underground scenes.
She has also worked successfully as an editor and producer for a German music channel, shooting films about music, people and art.
Alex Box
A ground-breaking make-up artist with a strong alternative voice.
For her degree show at the Chelsea College of Art, Alex Box exhibited installation art exploring the relationship between the body and the environment. Later, her make-up went on to explore this relationship between art, science, nature and the magical.
Alex has since become one of the most influential make-up artists of our time. She creates looks for designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, McQ, Peter Jensen and Gareth Pugh. She was also the lead artist at 2007’s Fashion Rocks event.
Alex’s work has featured in Vogue in Italy, France, Japan, China and Britain. Her work is also regularly seen in titles including Numero, W, Another Magazine, Dazed & Confused, 10 and i-D.
David Vanian
Lead singer of The Damned, inventor of UK punk, a legend in alternative culture.
David Vanian is a legend as much for his individuality as for his music. As lead singer of The Damned, his was the first British punk band to release a single, put out an album and tour the United States. David also fronts his own band, David Vanian and His Phantom Chords.
An icon for alternative cultures, David brought the Gothic image and lifestyle out of the shadows with his distinctive style, being one of the first men in music to wear make-up on stage and off.
David’s interests, however, go well beyond the life he has on stage – ranging from renaissance art to film noir. He has recently finished scoring the soundtrack for the Neo Noir film, ‘The Perfect Sleep’.