Behind the Food Trucks: Meet Jeannie Phan

You've seen our tantalizing Food Trucks fabrics; now it's time to meet the designer behind these tasty treats! We asked Jeannie Phan to take us behind the scenes with her fun novelty prints.

And don't forget...our Food Trucks bundle giveaway ends March 10; make sure to enter here! 

What inspired you to create a collection based on food trucks?
JP: Food trucks to me were always something nostalgic and meant the peak of summer was here (the best part of the year in my opinion!), so the collection really brings together the bright, colorful and fun experience I feel whenever I see a row of them on the street, or tucked away in a park corner, ready for hungry kids screaming for hot dogs and ice cream.

Do you have a favorite food truck? Where is it and what type of food? 

JP: I live by a big park in the city and every summer there is one particular ice cream truck that parks by the playgrounds run by the same friendly man. The exterior is white with hand-painted ice cream cones and slushies that I always found so charming. My partner and I walk through this city park all the time and every so often (maybe too often...) will get ourselves soft serve cones (his swirled, mine vanilla) and it's the best thing ever. Cold cones, on a hot day under some old trees.

How did you choose what types of food to feature? 

JP: Even though food trucks lately have really been pioneers of interesting, trendy foods I really wanted to focus on the classic sweet and savory ones many of us grew up on: foods that are instantly recognizable and would conjure up some fond memory from childhood or even a weekend ago.

Which motif was the most fun to draw? 

JP: Surprisingly it was the drinks! My partner is a bartender so when I was drawing some of the spots, I was thinking "has he made this drink before?" and if he's made me it; how it tasted at the time. And yes! I do use references, but I try not to use them too closely and focus on the general shape and feel of the food instead of rendering it very realistically.

Can you talk about some of your favorite fabrics in the collection?

JP: I love the people one! I love patterns with an array of tiny people and this is no exception. I think it's so fun to see the gestures of the little characters (biking, running, etc) and then look closely to see what food they're holding. I also really like the pretzel pattern! It's so versatile.

How did you come up with the color palette? 

JP: These colors are fairly well used in my work in general and is a great summary of the bright tones I like to play with. With the theme of Food Trucks, I couldn't think of anything better than to celebrate it with vibrant colors that are just subtly dulled down to nod to the nostalgia. I also opted for dark brown instead of black as my darkest tone to brighten everything up.

Can you tell us a bit about the non-food prints, like the food trucks and people? 

JP: Food is connected with people and community and there's really no separating the two in my mind, so the people print was a no-brainer. And when I think of Food Trucks I think of travel, being away from home (whether it be at the end of a street or day trip out), so the map is a direct reference to that. Like, "let's grab a bite and

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? 

JP: Yes! I was born in a prairie province in Canada but now work and live in Toronto (where I went to art school). I'm a full-time illustrator who is most known for my editorial print work, but also work in the digital space. That's why it was so delightful to be able to work with fabric! I see it as an exciting new medium for me.

What are some other examples of where/on what your work is featured? 

JP: I do a lot of illustrations for digital publications so you can find me on the Airbnb Blog, TED, NPR and Medium to name a few. For print work, releasing this year, I'll have some illustrations in "The New Plant Parent" by Darryl Cheng (most known as House Plant Journal)! My portfolio is www.jeanniephan.com and all socials @jeanniephan

Is this your first time having your work featured on fabric? Is the experience different than what you’re used to? 

JP: It is! And it's so gratifying to see it printed on something as imaginative as a piece of fabric. I've been getting into sewing myself so when I see these pieces, I just feel so inspired and think about all the cool things I can make with it. It's like a jolt of double creativity. It's awesome!