INDUSTRY:
Illustration
CLIENT:
MONSTER HIGH
YEAR:
2024
EXPERIENCE:
Commercial Illustration, Consumer Products
MONSTER HIGH PRIDE
about.
For Pride Season 2024, I was chosen as the internal artist to create a piece exploring "What Pride Means to Me," inspired by the Monster High aesthetic. I was elated to work on this project—not only had I crafted the layout and campaign visuals the month prior, but this time I got to contribute my own artwork.
Context
Working at Mattel Creations, Monster High quickly became my favorite brand. Though I didn't grow up with it, I fell in love with its voice and messaging around identity. Everyone has a place, and if there wasn't a character you identified with yet—you just had to wait.
This inspired my concept: a floral avatar for everyone's identity. I chose something without gender but steeped in queer history and culture—the language of flowers. Through this subcultural communication, famously employed by Oscar Wilde, flowers conveyed meanings for gender identities and sexualities, signaling to those in the know: you are not alone. You are seen.
result.
I focused on lavender, green chrysanthemums, pansies, violets, and roses, giving them a Monster High twist with teeth, eyes, and deep references to the packaging fans know and love. I also incorporated a nod to my own previous Monster High work.
The result was a floral bouquet growing around the classic MH emblem, with flowers representing every color of the Inclusive Pride Flag. Every story grows and weaves as you get older as a queer person, but the flowers are always in bloom if you love yourself for who and what you are. That's what Pride means to me—and I wanted everyone to know they should bloom into this idea too.
