Gilded Lines: FIDA x IOAKU Illuminate the Art of Modern Jewellery

November 4, 2025

In an inspired collaboration fusing fine art with contemporary fashion, FIDA has partnered with Swedish jewellery brand IOAKU, led by visionary designer Fanny Ek. The project challenged FIDA’s international community of illustrators to capture the essence of IOAKU’s creative world through the expressive lens of fashion illustration – a dialogue between craft, emotion and modern adornment.

Artwork: Tracy Turnbull

Rather than simply depicting accessories, the artists were invited to reflect the brand’s playful energy and sense of modern femininity.

IOAKU is known for its balance of bold design and artisanal craftsmanship, where each piece tells a story. For this project, Fanny encouraged illustrators to evoke the brand’s magic – where jewellery becomes more than decoration, transforming instead into a form of self-expression.

Artwork by Kelly Bailey

Among the standout submissions, several artists caught Fanny’s eye for their ability to interpret the brand’s aesthetic with originality and depth. Tracy Turnbull’s work radiates power and sophistication, her graphic profile portraits of Black models glowing with rich tones and adorned in IOAKU’s distinctive earrings and necklaces. The deep golds against dark, velvety skin tones evoke a sense of midnight elegance – luxurious, intimate and timeless. Her use of walnut and burnt hues creates a visual warmth that beautifully mirrors the brand’s identity.

Artwork Bar Persi

Kelly Bailey raised the creative bar with her screen-print inspired illustrations, defined by bold blocks of opaque colour and a strong graphic sensibility. Her portraits feel as though they have leapt straight from the printing press – dynamic, modern and alive. With echoes of Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec, Bailey’s work has a confident, contemporary flair that would look perfectly at home framed on any gallery wall.

Artwork Bar Persi

Fanny was equally charmed by Bar Persi’s watercolour pieces, where fluid, dancing brushstrokes capture movement and spontaneity. Her delicate handling of colour and form brings a poetic, dreamlike quality that resonates with IOAKU’s spirit. Both Zofia Trząska and Kaz Mak’s illustrations also stood out for their layered washes and rose-tinted tones – evoking English softness and feminine strength in equal measure. Their work feels gentle yet expressive, merging romanticism with refined structure.

Artwork Kelly Bailey

Valya Papadopoulou’s contribution brought a contrasting note of raw craftsmanship. Her illustrations carry a tactile, handmade quality that reflects the artistry at the heart of IOAKU’s design process. Papadopoulou’s approach was praised for its authenticity, noting how it beautifully conveys “the soul of the maker” – a sentiment deeply aligned with IOAKU’s brand philosophy.

Artwork by Fredha

Fredha’s work brought an entirely different energy – vivid, expressive and joyfully unrestrained. Her illustrations burst with vivid tones and graphic brush marks, dashing across the page like a modernist typographer experimenting with hand-painted lettering. The result is both fluid and structured, a symphony of movement and mark-making that captures the playfulness at IOAKU’s core. Her approach is painterly yet precise, combining spontaneity with a designer’s eye for composition.

Artwork by Zofia Trząska

Artwork Kaz Mak

For FIDA, this partnership marks another meaningful chapter in its ongoing mission to connect illustrators with brands that value creativity and artistry. The collaboration highlights the vital role of hand-drawn storytelling in an increasingly digital fashion world. Through illustration, jewellery becomes more than a product – it becomes a narrative, an emotion, a moment of beauty made personal.

Artwork by Valya Papadopoulou

“Working with IOAKU has been a truly inspiring experience,” said a FIDA spokesperson. “It’s a reminder that illustration can bring a brand’s essence to life in a way that feels both timeless and human.”

Artwork by Kelly Bailey

As FIDA and IOAKU continue to build their relationship, the collaboration stands as a shining example of how fashion illustration can bridge the worlds of design, craftsmanship and communication. It celebrates not only the beauty of jewellery, but the artistry of those who imagine and interpret it.