Tell us a little about yourself! Where are you from, what are your hobbies and passions?
I'm Sandra Hutter, an illustrator and surface pattern designer from Austria, working from my studio in Vienna. Before all of this I was a nurse in an ICU for premature babies. I lived in the Bay Area in California for almost six years, and that's where the pattern design part of my life really started.
When I'm not drawing, I love spending time with my family and friends, and traveling. I also have a little Maltipoo, and I love taking him for walks.
What inspires your artwork? Are there particular themes, places, or memories that influence your designs?
Mostly everyday moments: a color combination that catches my eye and that I can't stop thinking about, or pretty flowers I spot somewhere along the way. And travel, of course.
Color is the thread through everything. I always grab the colorful cup over the plain white one without even thinking about it, because I just feel better with it sitting on my desk. That's what I want my patterns to do.
How did it feel seeing your art come to life on swimwear?
It's extra special for me. I love traveling, especially beach vacations. In Austria we have beautiful lakes but no ocean, so the sea and the beach always feel like a treat.
I always wanted to go to Australia. I haven't made it there yet, but my artwork did. And then the photos from Fiji arrived: right on the beach, the most beautiful Fijian women wearing my prints, and even a horse. So my artwork now has a better travel life than I do, and I couldn't be happier about it.
What message or feeling do you hope people take away when they wear your designs?
Just a good mood. I hope it's the swimsuit you reach for first, the same way I reach for the colorful cup. The world is heavy enough sometimes, and if a print makes someone smile on their way to the beach, that's all I want.
What first sparked your love for creating art, and how has your journey as an artist evolved over time?
I did a lot of arts and crafts when I was little, and I was drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. I went to art and design school in Austria, then took a completely different turn and became a nurse.
Then, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I took a sewing class for baby clothes and got completely hooked, always hunting for the most colorful fabrics I could find. One night I stumbled across an online course on designing your own fabric, bought it, and opened Photoshop for the first time the next morning.
I'll never forget holding my first own fabric in my hands in my kitchen. It's a little embarrassing to look at now, but it completely blew my mind. Somehow that turned into licensing my art to brands all over the world.
Where else can people find your work or other collaborations you have worked on?
My fabric and wallpaper designs are on Spoonflower and HappyWall, and you can see all my newest collections on sandrahutter.com. I share new work almost daily on Instagram at @sandrahutterdesigns, and you you can now find my first book through retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Over the years my art has ended up on products all over the world, from gift wrap in Hawaii to planners in Spain. I've already worked with a few Australian brands, like Monsterthreads for raincoats, Saltwater Picnic Co for picnic blankets and Mrs Edgar for teacher planners, and now Sheila May Swim for swimwear. All that, and I still haven't made it to Australia myself, but I really hope I can come and visit soon!
You'll also find my art on phone cases with CASETiFY, puzzles with Ravensburger, greeting cards with American Greetings, plus my very first fabric collection with Cotton+Steel, and a lot more. And my first book, Modern Folk Art, just came out.
What message would you like to share with aspiring artists who dream of seeing their work on fashion and swimwear?
Just start, even if your first design is a bit embarrassing (mine definitely was). Take a class, share your work, and keep going. Most of the brands I've worked with found me because my art was out there to be seen.
And learn a little about licensing and your copyright early on. Your artwork is worth protecting.
What’s next for you as an artist? Any exciting projects on the horizon?
My debut book, Modern Folk Art: Draw 75 Charming Animals, Botanicals, Patterns, and More, came out in the US in September, and the UK edition follows on October 15. It's a how-to-draw book with 75 folk art motifs, all about loosening up and trying things out. I'm also already working on new collections for 2027, and I'd love to see more of my prints near the water.
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