Watching fashion illustrator Veronica Miller Jamison (also known as Veronica Marché) work is like watching an alchemical process: With a few deft strokes of her brushes, beauty emerges from a blank page. The Philly-based artist is known for her vibrant use of color and elegant silhouettes, and she considers women of color the ultimate muses.
“All my life I’ve been surrounded by incredible, stylish women—women who I’ve found to be distractingly absent in the realm of fashion illustration,” she says. “So everything in my fashion-illustration work focuses on black women first—the way we move, the way we embrace bold color, the rituals around hair, beauty and style. We have such an incredible relationship with fashion. It’s time to celebrate that.”
And celebrate she does, with an annual release of fashion-inspired holiday cards that make the most of a melanated season in Marché’s signature style.
But Marché’s magic extends far beyond her illustrations. The Howard and Drexel alum and former broadcast news journalist for NPR and the Associated Press also performed alchemy on her career, switching gears to focus on art and design. Since that bold move, her work has blossomed, attracting clients such as Hallmark, Bloomingdale’s, SheaMoisture, Essence and Marie Claire. Her first children’s book is due out in the spring of 2019 with Little, Brown and Co. She credits her success to both a love for her work and for black beauty.
“I really love what I do because it gives me the opportunity to create joy for people. Nothing feels better than people seeing my work and being able to see themselves in it,” she tells The Glow Up. “Art and illustration hasn’t always been used to paint black women in a glowing, radiant light. I’m interested in correcting that as much as I can.”
The Glow Up gift tip: Looking for a unique gift for a fashionable lady in your life—or yourself? In addition to Veronica Marché’s stylish collection of holiday cards (available for purchase here), she’s also available for commissions. Inquire about commissioning a custom piece or live-painting session at her website. (Fun fact: Veronica Webb and I both have Marché-painted fashion portraits on our wish lists for the new year.)