Stories of goddesses, mythological beings and women warriors told through an anime lens – this is the world of Jess Bianchi. Based in Buenos Aires, her inspiration lies thousands of miles away: from Shōjo manga to 20th Century Soviet illustrator Ivan Bilibin.
“When I was a child I was fascinated with Magic Knight Rayearth and Sailor Moon manga from the Nineties, with their stylized magical girl-warriors and extremely detailed outfits,” says Jess. “And I get a lot of inspiration from cinema, particularly Seventies and Eighties fantasy and horror, Russian fairytales and religious paintings.”
Her work for Nike features Japanese superstar Naomi Osaka as a fierce, ball slammin’ anime demigod. “Naomi is a big fan of anime so this world was all about the medium, trying to make it as cool as possible,” says Jess.
Alongside leading the art and animation direction for a Dior International Women’s Day teaser (its battery-acid orange and twilight-blue palette inspired by iconic Disney artist Mary Blair), Jess also directs music videos. Check out ‘My Way’ by Argentine electropop group Siamés. “It’s a slightly bloody fairytale, with a ritual, lots of glitter and magical animals in it,” she says.
Stay in the loop
A lot can happen in a month, so we thought we’d write it all down on one virtual piece of paper. Sign up to receive a friendly message in your inbox.
