Artwork
The Original Globe Trotter
The Original Globe Trotter is a drawing by Jason Brooks. It dates from 2004 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
He studied at St Martin’s College and won the Vogue Sotheby's Cecil Beaton Award for fashion illustration.
Jason Brooks drew The Original Globe Trotter around 2004. It’s a drawing, not a painting. The Victoria and Albert Museum owns it.
Brooks grew up in Brighton. He studied at St Martin’s College and won the Vogue Sotheby's Cecil Beaton Award for fashion illustration. His work often mixes travel and fashion.
His art shows up in magazines like British Vogue and Elle. He’s also drawn fashion shows in Paris.
Look up artist Jason Brooks.
Overview
Jason Brooks, born in 1969 and raised in Brighton, developed his artistic voice through formal training in graphic design at St Martin’s College and later illustration at the Royal College of Art. His career took shape after winning the Vogue Sotheby's Cecil Beaton Award, leading to regular contributions to major fashion publications. The drawing 'The Original Globe Trotter,' created around 2004, reflects his signature fusion of travel and fashion, and is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a stylized traveler whose journey is implied through layered cultural motifs and fashion elements. Rather than a literal portrait, it evokes the idea of global movement, clothing, accessories, and patterns drawn from diverse regions suggest a life lived across continents. The figure becomes a symbol of cosmopolitan identity, where personal style and international experience intertwine without narrative specificity.
Technique & Style
Brooks employs digital vectoring to construct his images, allowing precise scaling without loss of detail. His process begins with hand-drawn sketches, which are then refined digitally to achieve a clean, seamless aesthetic. The result is a highly polished look with sharp contours and vibrant, flat color fields, a style that distinguishes his work from traditional illustration and aligns with contemporary commercial demands for adaptable imagery.
History & Provenance
Created circa 2004, 'The Original Globe Trotter' emerged during a period when Brooks was actively contributing to British Vogue and Elle, as well as documenting Paris fashion weeks for the Independent. The drawing entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection as part of its broader effort to document the evolution of graphic design and fashion illustration in the early 21st century, recognizing Brooks’ role in redefining the medium through digital innovation.
Context
Brooks’ work arose amid a shift in fashion media, where illustrated reports competed with photographic coverage. His illustrations offered a stylized, interpretive alternative that resonated with editorial audiences seeking personality over realism. Simultaneously, his imagery found commercial traction with brands like Hed Kandi, whose album art benefited from his visually cohesive, globally inspired aesthetic, bridging high fashion and popular culture.
Legacy
Brooks helped establish digital vector illustration as a legitimate and influential mode within fashion and editorial art. His early adoption of scalable digital techniques influenced a generation of illustrators seeking both artistic expression and commercial versatility. While his work remains tied to fashion and travel themes, his technical approach has left a lasting imprint on how illustrated content is produced and distributed across print and digital platforms.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jason Brooks is a British painter and sculptor. He studied at Goldsmiths College before completing his BA at the Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Art & Design. Jason spent some time in the British School of Rome in…
