That Hey Day

THEY RODE VESPAS, DRANK COCKTAILS, went shopping, skiing, threw pool parties and wore amazing clothes. They also graced the cover of my notebooks back in high school, distracting me from class and leaving me jealous of both their glamorous lifestyles and their creator's artistic achievement.

Uruguay-born Jordi Labanda grew up in Barcelona where he studied industrial design and in the mid-90s decided to pursue a career as an illustrator. Oversized sunnies, exotic locales, model physiques and superchic interiors, all rendered by hand in a flat yet fluid fashion, became his signature, gaining him international popularity via collaborations with lifestyle brands and publications. Louis Vuitton, Wallpaper, Vogue USA and Nippon, The New York Times, Swarovski, Freixenet and Grand Marnier, among others, have all populated their pages and commercial channels with Jordi's fabulous femmes in fabulous worlds. The artworks have also made it to a credit card, a cafe, a car, and of course the stationery supplies I so eagerly collected.

Ten or so years later, Jordi Labanda's illustrations grace my tabletop once again; this time a coffee table instead of a classroom desk. The scenes are still delicious as ever, and I continue to covet their glamor, but it's great to find a bit more of the wit, and familiarize a bit more with the scenarios that I see.

In a way, I guess I've had my mini heyday. My high school self would be so jealous.

Hey Day by Jordi Labanda and Tyler Brûlé, published by Editorial RM.