A week in work outfits with LCI Melbourne design mentor and artist, Wanissa Somsuphangsri

Tailored pants, comfortable sneakers and playful accessories.

Working in a creative role, it can be difficult to know how to dress for the day. Instead of having a set uniform of crisp white shirts and tailored black pants (as much as I love both), an ever-changing schedule means every morning requires a set of questions. Am I running around, or just sitting at my desk? Do I need to dress specifically for a project? And most importantly, will I be in the background of someone’s TikTok?

This week, LCI Melbourne graphic and digital design mentor and artist, Wanissa Somsuphangsri, runs us through what a typical week looks like for her. Born in Bangkok, Wanissa’s work is inspired by her multicultural background and love for handcrafted letterforms.

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From recording podcasts and leading LCI students in design education to spending days at the tattoo studio, Wanissa’s schedule is ever-changing. Her work wardrobe staples include tailored pants, comfortable sneakers and playful accessories. Scroll on to see what she wore across the week.

Monday

On Mondays, I teach design at LCI Melbourne. My work outfits tend to be super comfortable and easy to move around. Being an art and design institute, the mentors are pretty casual and creative with our outfits. Today, as I went in to deliver a class on our beautiful campus in Collingwood, I decided to wear my favourite olive green jacket from Havehad, a Korean streetwear store I discovered in Seoul last year.

They have flattering basics with really nice, oversized cuts that I love. I also wore my high-rise, wide-legged Uniqlo pants with my green round mini-shoulder bag, also from Uniqlo. This bag is viral for a reason! It’s so lightweight and comfortable to wear. My inner top is a black crop top from Kookai.

Tuesday

I usually work from home on Tuesdays, though today I went into the studio to have some photos taken for an upcoming podcast with Future History X. In this podcast, I will speak about my creative journey from being a graphic designer to a lettering artist to a design academic and now a tattoo apprentice.

I’m wearing my Nique linen pants, as I love the cut and the high-waisted fit. I’m also wearing a super soft black sleeveless top that I picked up in Thailand many years ago along with my much-loved tortoise shell hoop earrings from Emeldo.

Wednesday

Wednesdays are my work-from-home days. I’m often doing admin or drawing new flash designs. As a self-employed artist, it’s sometimes hard to find time off, but I make sure I have a break outdoors or go for a walk and get some fresh air.

Here I’m out for a walk along the river, just a few minutes from my apartment. I wore my Gorman bucket hat with a knitted skirt that I bought from Seoul last year.

I’m wearing a crop top today as the weather was warm enough, but this skirt also looks nice with an oversized jumper. I recently bought myself a pair of Twoobs platform sandals and have been loving how comfortable they are to walk in.

Thursday

I’m at the studio today. I’m a tattoo apprentice at Mid City Tattoo, located in the heart of Melbourne CBD. I love going to the studio as it’s so beautiful and peaceful. Today I’m wearing a jumpsuit from Ganni. Jiyu, my lovely mentor and founder of the studio space, gave me this jumpsuit and I wear it all the time. As I work with ink that permanently stains clothing, I often wear all black for convenience, so that I don’t have to worry about ink spills when I’m tattooing.

Sunday

Sundays are my day off. Today we went to have lunch at a friend’s place, out in Eltham. I’m wearing a colourful long-sleeved top by Suku, paired with a pair of wide-leg jeans from Thrills. I often prefer neutral or muted shades, but it was sunny today and I felt like a bit of colour.

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