Live Sketching of Street Style Looks At London Fashion Week 2026

Mar 2

A close up of a sketchbook page showing fashion illustrations in red and blue of a man in a cardigan that was drawn by Illustrator Helen Ridley at London Fashion Week

This week I did something far out of my comfort zone. I invited myself to London Fashion Week to do live sketching of street style looks at 180 The Strand.

I invited another illustrator friend along (Whimsy Illustrations) and together we waited on the street outside the catwalk venues to capture fashion show guests with fabulous looks.

We approached influencers, models, creative directors and more and the majority of them were really happy to have their portrait sketched in just a few minutes. The live illustrations capture many different fashion looks including sportswear, bohemian, vibrant and edgy.

I didn’t work with watercolours as it was too fiddly to paint standing up, so I took a selection of coloured pencils (Caran D’Ache Supracolour') and brush pens (Tombow). My usual live illustration style at weddings and brand events is starting with a light pencil sketch, adding details with a Unipin fineliner and finishing with flourishes of watercolour. But capturing street style looks had to be super spontaneous, so my technique was to sketch with a coloured pencil, and then add some splashes of colour with Pentel ink pens, or Tombow brush pens. This live illustration technique captured the buzz of fashion week and the energy of the unique outfits. Many of those that posed for portraits were gifted their own custom illustrated portrait sketch to celebrate their unique and fashionable style.

I also took a spiral bound Seawhite sketchbook with a thick hardback cover and 160gsm pages which could withstand my super fast sketching, pens, pencils and and inks.

Below are a few examples of the looks I captured on the day.

Man in red and black suit jacket wearing shades, slicked back hair and smiling holding his custom illustrated portrait sketch by Illustrator Helen Ridley

Quick pink and black fashion portrait sketch by Illustrator Helen Ridley

Black lady wearing shades, bubblegum pink dreads with beads, black bomber jacket and cravat, pink fendi clutch bag, neon green acrylic nails, holding a custom illustrated portrait by Helen Ridley

Illustrator Helen Ridley and her friend Whimsy Illustrations smiling and holding their sketched portraits during London Fashion week

Illustrated sketch showing a lady with long pink hair and baseball cap, wearing a pink tie, black leather jacket and blue tartan skirt

Smiling lady with baseball cap and long pink hair holding a custom sketched portrait of herself. She is wearing a tartan blue skirt, pink tie and black leather jacket

A sketched portrait in pink, green and yellow of a lady wearing a fashion jacket and pink trousers. Illustrated by Helen Ridley at London Fashion Week

A man with black sunglasses and a beard wearing a beige textured cardigan holding a custom sketched portrait of himself at London Fashion Week. The portrait was illustrated by Helen Ridley

A quick fashion sketch by Illustrator Helen Ridley showing a person wearing a big suit jacket and shorts during London Fashion Week

A black man with tattoos wearing black sunglasses and a leather jacket holding a custom portrait sketch of himself which has been illustrated by Helen Ridley

A quick custom portrait sketch by Illustrator Helen Ridley showing a man in shades wearing a fashionable outfit of a biker jacket and a tartan skirt

Illustrator Helen Ridley standing into front of a London Fashion Week sign holding up an illustrated fashion portrait she drew

My name is Helen Ridley and I’m a Live Illustrator based in Reading, UK. If you would like to book me to illustrate live at your brand launch, boutique shop opening, wedding or special occasion, please get in touch via email - hello@helenridley.com