Rachel Thomas is virtually peerless for the unique position she occupies in the creative landscape. She sits somewhere between an art director and set-designer and her work spans many media from print to installation. She has worked with a diverse range of clients in fashion (Mulberry, Hermes, Acne Jeans, Giles Deacon and Topshop) editorial (Another Magazine, NOWNESS, Acne Paper PIN-UP Magazine and British Vogue) and the wider commercial world (Orange, John Lewis, Nike and London Underground).
Rachel’s background is in fine art, (which she studied at Goldsmiths), film-making (her early work includes several pop promos and self-initiated films) and photography has led to her unique aesthetic and three-dimensional approach. Unusual and surprising materials from paint, polystyrene and mirrors to Perspex, fabric and found objects make Rachel’s sets original, engaging, full of visual narrative twists and a sophisticated brand of make-believe. The resulting visuals end up on record sleeves, as fashion stories in magazines or on towering billboard posters, where her in-camera visual tricks delight as an antidote to digital manipulation.
Rachel’s work is at the most seductive, glamorous end of craft and the energy that leaps from her visuals have put her hotly in demand. While playful and light-hearted at times, her work is also sophisticated and intelligent. She uses bold, simple visual archetypes and signs but she is interested in “the mental craft of thinking something out and creating a puzzle” through her visuals–a magic combination that makes her one of the most original and innovative commercial image-makers of the day.