Issue 34

We haven't done an illustration trend report for a few years now. (Hint: trend reports are very much not trending atm). But! it has been fascinating to watch the luxury sector in particular over the last 12 months.

In 2025, Hermès commissioned over 50 artists for their socials and just launched a fully illustrated website which is making waves which we featured last week. Before that, it was Rimowa and Loewe. Now, Lacoste and Porsche seem to be getting amongst it.

There is a distinct "look" blending together here that I can't seem to put my finger on, which also creates a bit of a paradox... Illustration is often used to create a point of difference, but when everyone adopts the same aesthetic, they somehow end up slightly similar?

That said, I can't fault this weeks pick which continues in this vein, with Ana Popescu's magnificent recent work for Louis Vuitton. I suppose if it ain't broke...

Obviously these brands are positioning themselves against the proliferation of AI artwork... leaning into flat, muted, comic-like styles that feel undeniably hand-rendered and complimenting that with traditional animation techniques.

I'm certainly not complaining! It’s a real boon for artists and our industry, but the lifecycle of these visual trends seems to get faster every single year which can be hard to keep up with. I suppose it's appropriate that this is happening in the fashion and beauty space though?

Either way, it's been great to see how this style has continued to evolve and how different artists seem to be approaching it.

In lieu of a big trend report, we've simply been tracking these movements here in Out of Commission - if any more brain farts continue to emerge, I'll post them here, otherwise we'll continue to let the images do the talking, so here's our picks of the week!