Illustrator Louisa Gagliardi interprets the turbulent tones of winter for Ace & Tate

It’s Nice That has collaborated with Amsterdam-based eyewear brand Ace & Tate on a new sunglasses collection for 2016. We commissioned Louisa (one of our Ones to Watch 2016), along with artist Howard Fonda, to create an original artwork that’s been printed as two separate lens cloths and limited edition Litho print posters to be delivered with each pair of sunglasses that are purchased.

The brief asked the creatives to celebrate the fact people wear sunglasses year-round. Louisa’s print evokes the mercurial nature of the colder months during autumn and winter. A heady mix of deep purples and reflective greys, the illustrator’s design sees a face shielded by the figure’s own hand. “I have quite an obsession with hands in my portraits, I find them the most beautiful accessory so the idea came quite instantly to use the hands as glasses,” says Louisa. “They’re there to protect, to accessorise and to embellish.”

Louisa approached the artwork like any other illustration by finding inspiration in the past. “I normally look at a lot of classical and surrealist painting in my work. As the design needed to suit the colder months of the year, I looked at mostly darker paintings and there is also a strong influence of Picasso’s Blue Period in there.”

The artist used a sparse colour palette, alluding to the quietness and stillness associated with winter. “For this specific piece, the colour is the strongest element. It creates the dark mood of those seasons,” Louisa explains. “Also I feel like when it gets colder we want to find a cosy, warm environment and hide under the covers, which is what the character is doing with their hands.”

The atmosphere of the print is key for Louisa and it sits comfortably within the tone of recent personal work. Instead of simply picturing the seasons she wanted to “translate the feelings I have during this time of year. I often find myself seeking out warmth, protection from the elements, and start to notice the night taking over light.”

Printed in a square format, these restrictions brought about new considerations for the illustrator: “I have a hard time getting away from standard paper formats, so it was a really nice challenge. The fact I knew how the final piece would be used made it a little easier. I like the idea that it will always have a different shape from being folded differently.”

To find out more about our exclusive collection with Ace & Tate and to order a pair of our sunglasses, each of which comes with two cleaning cloths featuring the artists’ designs and two Litho printed posters for £135/€148, click here.