In The Studio with Clym Evernden
Meet the illustrator behind the design of Liberty's 2026 Beauty Advent Calendar
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In The Studio with Clym Evernden
Meet the illustrator behind the design of Liberty's 2026 Beauty Advent Calendar
This year’s Beauty Advent Calendar is as captivating on the outside as it is within, with an enchanting design that transforms the box into a work of art to treasure long after December. Created by renowned illustrator Clym Evernden, known for his imaginative, escapist scenes, this year’s edition invites you to linger over its magical Christmas setting, filled with charming details and subtle nods to some of Liberty’s lesser-known secrets.
For a glimpse into his artistic process, Liberty visited Evernden to delve a little deeper into this year’s edition and all the extraordinary details he has managed to sneak in.
This is your fourth year designing the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar. What can you tell us about this year’s edition?
I’m very proud to have designed the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar for four years in a row now. The building itself is so iconic, so I wanted to represent it in a loosely accurate way so that people can immediately recognise it, while still having little twists within the architecture. I also wanted it to have this kind of night-sky, magical feeling that runs throughout the design.
I’ve loved every single iteration I’ve done with Liberty, and the calendar already holds a special place in my heart. What I’ve learned from seeing them produced as physical product, is the importance of really embracing the detail, depth and brightness of colour. I’ve gradually increased the level of detail, the depth of colour and the overall vibrancy, which gives the design this super-boosted feel. The latest edition really is all-singing, all-dancing - and there are so many details to discover the more you look at it.
For those who may be new to your work, could you tell us a little about how you got here and your career to date?
I’ve been drawing since I was little - I was always drawing the family pets and was really interested in nature, which I think still comes through in my work today. I actually studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins, so I initially started by drawing for fashion magazines, which gave me a taste for illustration as a career.
How would you describe your style today?
I think my style has evolved into something more spontaneous and looser - quite natural and free-flowing. I’m proud to work in a way where I don’t often plan everything out or map it onto the page before I draw. Although I do a rough sketch beforehand, I like the final work to have a free-flowing energy. Intuition is an important part. When the ink touches the paper, I like there to be a sense of natural spontaneity, something that almost comes from the subconscious. If I plan things too much, they can become too stiff and lose that energy.
You’ve built up a community that appreciates hand-drawn illustration. What do you think it is about drawing that captures people?
I think what’s lovely is that people respond to drawing in a very instinctive way. It’s completely democratic. A friend’s toddler or someone in their 80s can both respond in a similar way to a drawing. There’s this emotive quality to creativity that just captures people’s imagination, no matter how many digital distractions they have around them. That interest in creativity seems to be very consistent. I think because my style is quite immediate and natural, there isn’t too much equipment involved. It’s really just ink on paper. People love that direct connection between my eye and my hand.
What are the details or characters should we look out for in this year’s design?
A lot of the characters I love are consistent across each calendar. The owls have always featured, and I love owls - they’re probably my favourite bird. When I was young, I was a birdwatcher, and I’m still interested in the different species. The latest calendar has this beautiful snowy owl, which appears throughout the design. I love the moons, too; they create this lovely, scenic night-sky feeling that’s really enjoyable to draw.
I tend to imagine a whole scene, or a little world, in which all these characters inhabit. There’s almost a storyline which helps bring all the different characters together. With this one, it’s almost as though a London taxi arrives carrying the Nutcracker character, who’s bringing lots of presents and gifts from Liberty. From there, the different characters and scenarios grow.
There’s such a wondrous, escapist quality to the design. Was that the atmosphere you wanted to create?
Absolutely. I’m very inspired by film and by things having a sense of narrative and cinematic quality. I definitely wanted the calendar to have a lot of depth and interest, so that someone can look at it for a long time and keep noticing more and more detail.
Besides working on the advent calendar, what makes you feel festive?
It’s the way London transforms around Christmas. It’s the whole atmosphere, really. I love seeing all the lights and the shop windows – and of course, the music.
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