“It’s a hobby that occupied the childhood of Alix Gutierrez. Now she makes a living as an illustrator and graphic designer at Richardson. The world moves quickly with social media, as she got her job through Instagram, but still, Gutierrez encourages aspiring graphic designers to run with the internet, as tough and challenging as it may be.”
Top: Strangeways NYC Smiths T-Shirt, Trousers: Vintage, Adidas Samba Leather Sneakers, Hoops: Sophie Buhai
on her morning routine
My day usually starts around 9:30 am. That’s typically when my body will start to wake me up. I’ll lay in bed and check my email, scroll through Instagram, and take my time reading whatever articles my friends are posting. I start my morning skincare routine with Lotus Moon Amaranth Cleanser, which I highly recommend for everyone. It’s all-natural, super gentle, and surprisingly powerful at removing makeup. My facialist Adina at Natural Feeling Spa in West Hollywood put me onto their products. I’ve been going mostly natural since I started seeing Adina and it’s done wonders for my skin. After I cleanse, I tone with Thayers Witch Hazel Alcohol Free Toner in Rose Petal. It smells so good. I don’t know that it actually does anything though, but I enjoy the process of putting it on anyway. For serum, I use The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid with vitamin B. It’s super affordable and keeps my skin looking nice and plump. I alternate between two different moisturizers, but lately I’ve been dedicated to my Aesop Mandarin hydrating cream. I also recommend Heritage Store Rosewater Spray.
I try to drink a glass of water before I leave the house because I’ve read that’s a good way to kick start your body for the day, and if I remember I’ll take a turmeric capsule. My goal for 2018 is to make coffee in the morning. I’ll get there.
on growing up with cartoons
I grew up an only child with working parents, a full on latch-key kid. I had a lot of time to myself and my dad would always leave VHS tapes for me to watch and told me what channel cartoons were on so a lot of my childhood was me getting familiar with animated media and film and trying to trace the drawings in all my books. I guess you could say that’s what planted the seed that would later become what I wanted to do for a living.
“I wasn’t heavy into poetry until I started following Nayyirah Waheed. She’s such a beautiful and thoughtful writer. Her recurring theme of self care as a woman of color really resonates with me. I’m mostly drawn to essay compilations, so when I was recommended Durga Chew-Bose’s “Too Much and Not The Mood,” I bought it immediately. I haven’t finished it yet because it’s so dense, in the best way possible, each sentence reads like poetry and I really want to take my time with it. ”
on getting her start in illustration
I was always more creatively inclined I guess, like I never saw myself going to liberal arts college or having a conventional career. I went to a magnet high school where I spent half the day in an art studio learning about different media and developed my own craft in the process.
For finding your personal style I think it’s important to have different outlets that you can pull inspiration from. I’m heavily inspired by solid storytelling, whether it be a film, or editorial, anything that conveys a feeling in a powerful conceptual way. That’s the best method, at least for me, to start developing a mental palette of what I want to emulate when I’m creating work.
on her tools for work
My Wacom tablet is god, but everything starts in my Moleskine.
on how she gets projects
People who want to collaborate with me typically find me through Instagram or work. I got the chance to design the book cover of Slutever by Karley Sciortino, which was super fun. That opportunity came about through my boss who recommended me for the job. The key to getting consistent work and projects and collabs is networking which can be hard when you’re starting out, but I promise you it gets easier as you go, especially with social media now.
on how she got her job at richardson
I got my job at Richardson through Instagram, a very 2016 way to become employed. Richardson had made a post saying they were opening an LA location and that they were looking to hire a team. At the time i was interning at shop super street doing some style assisting and back end web stuff so I figured if anything, Richardson could hire me for the shop based off that experience. When I reached out, I got a DM pretty quickly asking if I could draw. It started with a Hawaiian pattern that came out summer 2017, and now I’m their graphic designer.
Richardson Hardware Tee, Vintage Pleated Skirt, Nike Cortez Leather Sneakers
“My favorite class I took in college was Professional Practice. It was the most practical work I did for preparing myself after school. Shout out to Tucker Neel at Otis. He really helped me build my personal brand. Also all the film classes I took, queer cinema and world cinema, were both super influential to me and helped me think more critically about the media I take in. Everyone should get a Moviepass. ”
Vintage Pink Lace Top, Vintage Levi’s, Yokus Loafers
on her nightly routine
When I get off work, if I’m not meeting friends for dinner or a movie, I’ll come home and unwind a bit by watching something or reading before I start cooking. My meals are super simple. I just got a Spiralizer and I’m obsessed with it. I’ve been living off zucchini pasta for most of January. We’re all health goddesses in 2018. After dinner I’ll chill for a bit and continue watching whatever I was watching or finish a chapter of whatever I’m reading before I shower and get ready for bed. I use the same products in my night routine as my morning except I lotion my entire body with Trader Joe’s pumpkin body butter, and occasionally I’ll throw in a sheet mask. I also recommend Glossier Body Hero.
on her makeup routine
Being able to get ready in under 10 minutes is super important to me because I’m always running late! My makeup routine is simple. After I massage all my skincare products into my face and let it sit for a bit, I do a very light contour with my bronzer, I use Elf Bronzer Palette in Deep. It’s perfectly fine. I highlight with Pat McGrath Skin Fetish in Gold or Maybelline Master Strobing Stick in medium nude glow. Those are my favorite highlighters. They’re both so radiant, but natural looking and create that nice dewy look everybody loves. After I bronze/highlight I line my lips with Revlon’s Colorstay lipliner in mauve. It’s a slightly more saturated color of my lips so it just adds a little umph. Then I go over with 3CE tinted balm in brick red, and to top it all off I alternate between Glossier’s Lip Gloss or Fenty Gloss Bomb. Both non-stick and high shine, exactly how I want my entire face to be.
on her self-care rituals
Drawing for myself has become a bit of a self care ritual lately. For a while, like at least a year, I barely touched my sketchbook. Every time I made the effort to draw something it felt like such a chore. I would be like, “Oh I spend all day doing this at work and now you want me to do this at home? FOH.” But seriously once I made that disconnect from work and home and my own practice it’s been lovely and I try to incorporate that into my daily routine.
“I love pulling references. Designing something from an array of different materials and objects is pretty incredible. The process itself is my favorite part, although insanely stressful at times. It’s pretty sick to see it all come together in the end. Egon Schiele was my breakthrough artist. I was so inspired by him when I was younger. I love his treatment of the figure. Egon, Alphonse Mucha and Klimt, Art School 101, but a good place to start as that’s informed a lot of my personal style. Most of my inspiration comes from film though: Alien, Studio Ghibli, La Piscine, a lot of sci-fi fantasy and dreamy French shit. My favorite instagrams for visuals are: @hautebasics, @décorhardcore, @michelgaubert, @voguexiconic and @lookatthisrussian.”
Top: Strangeways NYC Smiths T-Shirt, Trousers: Vintage, Adidas Samba Leather Sneakers, Hoops: Sophie Buhai
alix's favorite books
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, Too Much and Not the Mood by Durga Chew-Bose, There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce by Morgan Parker, Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros, Non-Diary Diary by Nobuyoshi Araki, Salt by Nayyirah Waheed
alix's favorite movies
Death Proof, Heartbreakers, Alíen, Every Studio Ghibli Film
alix's favorite places in los angeles
Best Brunch : Millie’s
Best Lunch: Amara Kitchen or Hot Wings Café
Best Dinner: Speranza or Blossom
Best Bar: Jalisco
Best Coffee: Café Tropical
Best Park: The Meadow at Silver Lake Reservoir
Hair Salon: The Hive Highland Park
Best Shopping: Some of the best vintage in LA is at the fleas. Pasadena City College Flea, Rose Bowl Flea, Longbeach. They’re all really great and have pretty sick furniture for not insane prices as well. If flea markets are too overwhelming for you, some of the best vintage shops in LA are Varsity, Squaresville, Cannonball & Tilly and Painted Bird. Also, the Army Surplus shops!
Best Spot: Fisherman's Cove Beach
Top: Richardson Hardware Tee, Skirt: Vintage Pleated Skirt, Sneakers: Nike Cortez Leather Sneakers, Bag: Chinatown Bag
Photography by Maggie Shannon