Octavio Platon Akel of @MonsieurSaturday
We first heard about his iconic shoe illustrations when they popped up on HIGHSNOBIETY a few years back and have been tracking artist Octavio Platon Akel of @MonsieurSaturday ever since. The graphic artist’s drawings show the intricacy and craftsmanship of each pair of shoes in excruciating detail, while showing a real affinity for—and appreciation of—street style that hits close to home. So when Octavio reached out wanting to illustrate some of Larroudé’s bestselling pairs, we jumped at the chance (and if you haven’t seen them on our social by now, go check it out!). We caught up with the artist to learn more about his past, his process, and how he discovered our classic silhouettes. We’re obsessed and we know you’ll be, too.
What brought you to the world of illustration?
I have enjoyed drawing since I was a little kid, always sketching on my notebooks in high school. Then, I self-taught myself on Illustrator and just wanted to be drawing and illustrating and mixing colors for different ideas that came to mind. Then, the idea of leg/shoe silhouette came to mind and I have never stopped since 2017.
Yes! It was for a really cool store located in CDMX that wanted to have more graphics in their store. The next month I did a small project for Barneys NY.
This is something that always comes to mind when I scroll my IG profile. Most people say that I'm pretty constant with my drawing, but i feel i have evolved so much from those first sketches.
In your opinion, what makes a shoe worth illustrating?
I spend lots of time checking out shoes, there are just some that I am drawn to, call it intuition, but it turns out thats the shoe of the season are the ones that you later see IG influencers unboxing. There are others where I just see the shoe with a specific look or that might go with a specific person.
What advice would you give aspiring illustrators/graphic designers hoping to monetize their work?
I think illustration is a daily job like any other. You have to practice every day. Post every day. Use every tool that social media has today and tag every person you think would connect or identify with your idea. With honest and hard work, the rest will come.
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