London based illustrator Sophie Stephens has a unique take on life that overpowers her work. Full of dry humour and ample filth, Stephen’s illustrations at once revere and create a spectacle of her creative heroes and today’s iconic style celebrities. While Terry Richardson ambles along with a cactus in place of his crown jewels, Luella, topless, luxuriates, stretching out to expose herself like a lazy cat. With a fierce love for London and a particular disdain for Perez Hilton, Stephen’s talks to Dazed Digital about her inspirations and her spangled dancing ambitions…

Q&A

What's
 
... your work all about?
me, my friends, nonsense and nudity

... the one piece of work you wish you'd created?
I would have loved to have done art direction on the film Santa Sangre, or designed Vivienne Westwood’s gay cowboys punk t-shirt, or anything as honest and brutal as Frida Khalo’s works, the list is endless.

... the world coming to?
Like George Orwell’s 1984 but with more celebrities.

... better, analog or digital?
I need both.

... your favourite piece of clothing?
I'm quite partial to a sequin hotpant and I always seem to have the most fun in a ridiculous hat.

... your worst fashion secret?
None – I quite like the mistakes.

.... the best piece of advice you've ever heard?
Go to bed sophie - you have work in two hours.

... the most important thing for an artist to remember?
To be confident in what you think to be aesthetically pleasing, and to get out of bed before midday.

... the most inspiring thing you've ever seen?
London really inspires me, and what Londoners wear, the first time my dad took me to Camden Market I was blown away, plus the V&A is the best Museum in the world, all there rooms are completely inspiring and its only a bus ride away. That and a bit of filth inspires me.

... the cleverest thing you've ever done?
Went back to art school

... the stupidest thing you've ever done?
Dropped out of art school

... the name of your hero?
Frida Khalo , Tracey Emin, Alejandro Jodorowsky,  Pamela Anderson and Terry Richardson

... so special about your hero?
They’re fearless in their honesty, they give you ugly and say its beautiful.

... at the top of your shit list?
Perez Hilton is a mean, mean, little man.

... your favourite website?
ilovebadthings.com and ebay

... next year going to bring?
A place on strictly come dancing,  more drawing, more holidays, more tattoos and hopefully more of those elusive little pounds.

... the point?
Even if I knew I wouldn’t  tell