I used to be a creative director for a designer brand, but I had to give up the position because I wanted to pursue my dream as a freelance fashion illustrator. It was definitely not a wise move to make during this time of the pandemic, but you got to do what you have to do.
Art has been my driving force ever since and when the lockdowns happened, I was able to push myself, with more time given, to create more artworks for myself and for my clients. I guess, in my own little way, this helps the economy. I believe that if we continue to create more, our target audience might purchase more, right?
Creatives have been tested so hard through these trying times but we’re still here striving and working hard to gain back what the pandemic has taken from us. Recently, I conducted an online fashion illustration class in partnership with LR Virtual Learning Series. It aimed to continuously teach young and aspiring designers and creatives to pursue their dreams despite the pandemic. Our goal is to save the fashion and design industry and not let the pandemic stop us from doing what our fashion ancestors have started. The virus is slowly killing the creative industry in general but we will not let that happen, we will continue to fight, in all possible ways, for as long as we live.
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Ehrran Montoya is a 25-year-old fashion designer, fashion illustrator, and freelance visual artist from Morong, Rizal. He is a graduate of Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Advertising at Far Eastern University.
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Memento.
Stories and images in the time of COVID-19
An anthology of the struggles and hopes of Filipinos during the global health crisis of our time.