Are emojis taking over the fashion world? Those cute little icons we love to put on the end of our text messages are gaining a stylish life of their own. Customising your own version has become de riguer - think Kim Kardashian's 'Kimoji' range or Karl Lagerfeld's EmotiKarl'. Even Versace has a keyboard of faces wearing the brand's signature Medusa crown.
Now, Clare Grove, the Auckland-based illustrator and author behind the My Mummy Loves book series, has released 'Fash Pack' - a cool new fashion-focused emoji collection made up of 230 different icons. From a Chanel boucle jacket to a Saint Laurent smoking tuxedo, a Starbucks coffee cup to champagne and brunch - each emoji is a dainty watercolour and work to bring a refreshing artistic edge to a digital medium.
"I created the emojis because I felt there was a gap in the market for fun, stylish and artistic images for people to use in their messages," says Clare, who spent six months working on the app.
The reach emojis are having, however, is moving far beyond text messages and social media - now you can actually wear them. Karl Lagerfeld included emoji-style prints in his Chanel Fall 2016 collection, with garments adorned with emoji motifs that include his cat Choupette, the peace symbol and the brand's iconic camellia flower.
Earlier this month, Acne released a new emoji capsule range of hats, T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the emoji doughnut, banana, pig nose, hamburger, microphone and more. British designer Anya Hindmarch has also included the playful pictographs into her collections over the last few seasons, with her thumbs up tote and eye clutches proving top sellers. This is a universal language that looks set to run.
