'Suvi for Nina Ricci'

I can’t actually remember when I started this piece—it’s been on my drafting table for so long while I was intermittently chipping away at it. If I had a spare moment over the weekend, or enough energy at night, I’d fill in a feather or a face here and there. Otherwise, it lay dormant and neglected, quietly making me feel guilty.

This photo of model Suvi Koponen popped up when I was researching images from one of the greatest shows ever, in my opinion: Nina Ricci AW 2007 by Olivier Theyskens. What I would have done to have been there. Luckily, iconic fashion figure Diane Pernet was, and she took the photo from her seat in the crowd. If you’re a die-hard fashion girly, you’ve probably read her blog A Shaded View on Fashion and most certainly seen her at shows, dressed in her incredible black mantilla.

I was lucky enough to meet Diane at a Zekka event (RIP to that incredible King Street store) when she came to Perth in 2011. I can’t remember what we discussed, it was so long ago, but I clearly remember how charming and elegant she was, and how thrilled I felt walking away after meeting her. I contacted her via Instagram in 2023 to request permission to draw from her image, which she graciously granted. That was also the year I started lecturing at TAFE and took on a new job at the Art Gallery of WA in the same week, so the year well and truly got away from me. Still, it was nice to have this piece waiting there, ready for whenever I wanted to return to it.

I’ve dedicated 2026 to producing a body of work similar to this piece: catwalk images, drawn in pencil on paper, sized to A2. Let’s see if I can produce twelve by the end of December.

‘Suvi for Nina Ricci AW07’, coloured pencil on Arches A2 smooth 300gsm watercolour paper
420 × 594 mm
Image size: 300 × 400 mm

By Pippa McManus, 2026.