Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1529936
ketch pen in one hand, a libation in the other, irreverent fashion illustrator Donald Robertson is one of the most entertaining people we know. So, who better to chronicle the joyful mayhem of the h o l i d a y s t h a n Drawbertson, as h e 's k n o w n to his 227,000 Instagram followers. His witty, cartoon- like depictions of fashion and pop culture icons such as Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, and Pharrell Williams have made him a fashion-world favorite, according to Vanity Fair. British fashion designer Giles Deacon put Robertson's work on his clothing, and J. Crew has sold T-shirts featuring his drawings. Beyoncé uploaded a photo of herself holding a custom-made Drawbertson handbag decorated with lips. A former creative director at Estée Lauder and Glamour, Robertson has collaborated on playful designs for a raft of companies ranging from Canada Goose to the French boutique Colette. He often employs graphic gaffer tape to create his drawings — a signature style he incorporated for a butterfly- i n s p i r e d s p r i n g / s u m m e r collection for Weekend Max Mara. At Bergdorf Goodman, Robertson art-bombed the store's windows with paintings made from pizza boxes and gaffer tape. Last year, he opened a gallery in Palm Beach under the Drawbertson moniker to sell his art, and in April he released a second book, Sofa King Great, a 400-page tome bursting with colorful drawings that fetches $300. The title must be said fast and out loud to make sense. The Robertson clan — which includes his wife, Kim Gieske, and their 10-year- old twins Charlie and Henry — moved from California to Dallas mid-pandemic. (Robertson also has three "fully launched" kids, Teddy, Miles, and Drue.) They settled in a tasteful 1920s center-hall Colonial in Highland Park, with comfortable interiors designed by Cathy Kincaid and walls covered in colorful artworks by the kids and Robertson himself. "This is supposed to be my empty nest, but now I have twins," he says. "It's crazy. Boys come crashing into the house all day. There are usually 10 or 12 bikes in the yard. There are so many kids, and they all just walk in. Highland Park is like that — it's kidville." Some of his best ideas come to him in the carpool lane. He had a carful of kids when one in the back seat yelled, "Sofa king great!'" He says, "I didn't get it at first. The kids were all snickering. When I figured it out, I thought to myself, 'That's the title of book two.'" One of my interviews with Robertson took place while the harried dad was in line for tennis pickup at SMU. He muses over the question "What's on your holiday playlist?" while scrolling through Spotify on his phone and landing on "Texas" by rapper BigXthaPlug. "That's our Christmas jingle," he says. "Right now, it's what we're listening to over and over; It's the perfect soundtrack to everything." "'Texas' by rapper BigXthaPlug. That's our Christmas jingle. Right now, it's what we're listening to over and over; It's the perfect soundtrack to everything." — Donald Robertson Kim likes everything real: real tree, real holly, real greenery. In her world, the Christmas tree comes down December 30th. I like fake. Fake trees can stay up till February. It's a battle. (Continued) 43