(TOP) LEFT: VENEZIA CITY is one of a series of 40 illustrations from “CLIPS & HEELS”; RIGHT: HEAVEN, is a cover illustration for FASHION COLLECTION; (BOTTOM) LEFT: This cover illustration, called OFIX, is for oral fixation mints. It was completed in 2005 with Illustrator, Photoshop, Processing, and hand-drawn graphics. Processing is an open-source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation, and sound; RIGHT: BLACK-AND-WHITE, was created in 2005 with hand-drawn graphics and Adobe Illustrator for FASHION COLLECTION

Vladimir Dubko Latin Name: Sortius Vertex Randomus Age: 26 +39.339.101.1012 | www.vladimirdubko.com

Vladimir Dubko just spent three years in Italy doing what most designers can only dream about: He worked on his own projects, experimenting with different disciplines, and discovered his personal style in the process. As a grant holder at Fabrica—the Benetton research center on communications—he was surrounded by young artists from around the world. In this nurturing environment, he embarked upon everything from interactive design to print graphics and illustration.

One especially notable project is “Clips & Heels,” a set of 40 illustrations that use fashion accessories as a means to connect and represent a wide range of cultural objects. Individual images might be described as whimsical, haunting, or surreal—and sometimes all three at once. The illustrations reflect Dubko’s interest in fashion, a field in which he wants to continue to work. He already designs covers for a Moscow-based magazine called Fashion Collection. Dubko is originally from Belarus, where he studied communication design at Vitebsk State University. Before being awarded a spot at Fabrica, he spent two years in Moscow working in advertising for Young & Rubicam. His post-Fabrica plans weren’t concrete at press time, but seem likely to include a return to his native country for a few months and some time spent working for himself. Dubko says curiosity drives him as a designer, and he considers design “a great field to explore the world through.”

It’s an exploration that Omar Vulpinari, Fabrica’s head of Visual Communication, describes as sexy, provocative, disturbing, and delicately bizarre. He predicts Dubko’s unconventional illustrations will continue to sit on the border between art and design. “He will encourage others to take inspiration from their innerselves and their local cultures,” he says. “It’s something we need today in a world where too much work is homogenous.”
Michelle Taute