Interview with Agata Rogala: Capturing Emotion in Motion
This year marks Agata Rogala’s debut in the Fida Awards — and a remarkable one at that. With a fresh yet deeply intuitive approach to fashion illustration, her work blends mood, movement, and a distinct emotional charge. We sat down with Agata to talk about her process, her aesthetic, and what this recognition means for her creative journey.
This is your first time entering the competition. What inspired you to take the leap now?
Absolutely — it’s my very first time applying. I only recently began sharing my work online with a wider audience, even though I’ve been following the platform for years. I always admired the artists featured there and felt deeply inspired by them. Daily, I work as a designer, but fashion illustration has always been something I love on a personal level. Being recognised now feels extraordinary. It’s an honour, of course, but also a powerful encouragement to continue developing my artistic voice.
How did you decide which pieces to submit for the awards?
When selecting the work, I wanted the submission to feel as authentic as possible. My goal was to capture the emotion and mood of a brand, but always filtered through my own sensibility. Composition is a huge part of how I work — I want the viewer to feel the energy, the movement, the rhythm in every illustration. My style is impulsive, intentionally unfinished, expressive. Instead of chasing realism, I focus on gesture, silhouette, atmosphere, and emotional impact.
I curated the selection to reflect diversity within a cohesive visual world. I wanted each piece to stand on its own, yet still feel unmistakably mine, connected by rhythm, color, and spontaneity.
Your technique blends traditional and digital elements. How does that combination shape your style?
A lot of my work begins on paper. I love the raw, organic quality of pencil lines — they have a sensitivity that can’t be replicated digitally. From there, I merge those sketches with digital drawing on the iPad. Transparency and layering are essential to my process. I’m always searching for that tension between delicate, gestural lines and broad, painterly brushstrokes. I like when an illustration feels alive, when you can almost follow the movement of my hand as you look at it.
There’s a real emotional immediacy in your illustrations. What do you hope viewers feel when they look at your work?
For me, what matters most is capturing a moment rather than perfecting every detail. I want my illustrations to feel like snapshots of emotion — fleeting, expressive, and full of energy. If viewers sense that, if they feel the atmosphere more than the accuracy, then I’ve achieved what I set out to do.
How has receiving recognition from Fida influenced your artistic path?
It’s incredibly reassuring. It tells me that this direction — this instinctive, expressive way of working — resonates with others. That means a lot. It inspires me to keep exploring, keep pushing, and keep evolving my style. I feel more confident in allowing my work to be emotional, spontaneous, and imperfect in the best way.
Agata Rogala’s illustrations remind us that fashion is not only about what we see — but what we feel. Her work captures the breath between moments, the energy of movement, and the poetry of imperfection, marking her as a distinctive new voice in contemporary fashion art.
https://www.instagram.com/rogala_agata/
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