Amongst her many talents, Nicole Helf is a trend hunter, and at least judging by her Instagram presence, her fashion game is on point. Having earned a degree in fashion design from the University of Applied Sciences in Trier, Germany, Helf has been working for some time now as a freelance fashion and textile designer, as well as a graphic designer, illustrator, and (you’ve guessed it) – trend hunter.
Her clientele includes publications like the New Yorker, as well as brands like C&A, Street One, Blutsgeschwister, and Zalando; and an outfit she designed was worn by singer Maya Azucena on the runway. Helf has also won some noteworthy awards, such as the international fashion design competition Style X at the SWSW Festival in Austin, in 2012.
But her creative journey arguably begun much earlier than that, when she was only 4-years-old and would doodle about. Nowadays, she makes sure to carry her camera and sketchbook with her wherever she goes. “When I see an interesting outfit, textile design, trend or color combination, I usually take some pictures to capture it or I sketch the idea,” she told Talenthouse. “After this, I brainstorm and put all my ideas together.”
A relentless trend hunter, Helf finds inspiration in museums, paintings, nature, fashion shows, magazines, pop culture, music, and more. “Sometimes when I am doing nearly anything, or simply even people watching, I get great ideas for textile design and illustration,” she notes.
Below you’ll find some highlights from her fashion illustrations.