How to bring a little cheeky charm to your holiday cheer with Angelica Hicks
British artist and illustrator Angelica Hicks brings a signature sense of wit to everything she touches—from her satirical red carpet recreations on social media, crafted from unexpected materials, to her playful, pop-culture-inspired illustrations. Now, she’s bringing that same humor and vibrant style to a new collection of Paperless Post invitations. Featuring charming designs for everything from Christmas celebrations to extravagant dinner parties, the collection is made for gatherings with plenty of personality and for hosts who want to embrace a bit of lighthearted fun this holiday season. “I can’t wait to see the collection in action!” Angelica says. “Selfishly, I can’t wait to use my own invitation to invite people to dinner, but I also hope to be invited to an event of my own design.”
With the holidays quickly approaching, we wanted to ring in the season of celebration by diving deeper into the influences behind Angelica’s festively fun artwork, her approach to hosting, and her tips for putting together a holiday party outfit that makes you feel truly special. Plus, we had to know how she likes to spend the most magical time of year (hint: pigs in blankets are involved).
Witty wordplay and visual humor: The making of the collection
How did you first get into creating art? Who were your first inspirations?
I first got into creating art because I wanted to make people laugh.
One of my first inspirations was Hilaire Belloc’s “Cautionary Tales for Children,” which made me truly laugh from an early age. In terms of visual artists, I was inspired by illustrators such as Quentin Blake and Hilary Knight because I was taken by the power of their utterly distinct and unique style. It was inspiring.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I have always had the same technique: First, I’ll do a pencil outline, then I colour it in with watercolour, before finishing it off with an ink outline over the pencil. The outline makes it sort of childlike, but the watercolour elevates it.
My artistic style has also always been very cheeky. When I started off, it was all about wordplay; I became known for satirising the fashion industry. Slowly, I moved away from simple wordplay and settled into a broader visual humour, which is most evident in the videos I make recreating red carpet and runway outfits out of random things lying around the house.
What influences and inspirations went into the designs for this collection?
The first invitation I thought of was inspired by my menu design for a friend’s wedding dinner a few years back. Two white-gloved hands opening a silver platter to reveal an invitation instead of food. I love playing with visual humour, which isn’t necessarily so reliant on wordplay. Especially as that kind of humour doesn’t have a language barrier. So I hope to see some of my designs used globally! I was also inspired by cheeky Christmas cards, so I wanted to incorporate that into some of the holiday designs. I love the pole-dancing elf and Santa Claus doing the splits.
What feeling do you hope guests will have when they receive a design from your collection?
I hope to bring a smile to their faces! Spreading joy and holiday cheer.
Full bar, no gifts: Angelica’s rules for extravagant holiday hosting
How would you describe your hosting style?
My hosting style is “bring nothing!” because when I am a guest, I always turn up empty-handed. People don’t always listen to me because they are more polite than I am, but I always buy one too many bottles of wine, and I always spend too much money on cheese so that everyone can spoil their appetite. Dinner parties are a great excuse to get experimental and extravagant at my local cheese shop.
What are your top 3 do’s and don’ts for hosting a great holiday party?
DO: Have mulled wine, but…
DON’T: Let it occupy your night.
DO: Have a great playlist, but…
DON’T: Interrupt the evening with a mini professional carol singing concert.
DO: Warn your neighbours, but…
DON’T: Feel forced to invite them.
Describe your dream holiday party
My dream holiday party would be in a house in a city, London or New York preferably. There would be a working fireplace, and someone would be whisking coats out of the way. There would be people of all ages from all places, plus-ones if requested (but absolutely no snobs). The more the merrier, and the house would be like Mary Poppins’ handbag and somehow accommodate.
There would be pigs in blankets (the English kind) and yule logs (the American kind), but otherwise people would have been told that it is drinks, not dinner, because too much food can interrupt a fun party. There would be several full bars, and the martinis would be delicious. There would also be fun mocktails. The dress code would be festive, as would the décor, and there would be no forced activities, just dancing.
Angelica’s perfect, panettone-filled holiday season
What excites you most about the holiday season?
I love buying presents for people. And I love cold weather, hot chocolate, and red and white as a colour combo.
Do you have any go-to holiday traditions?
Panettone. Delicious! My mother is Italian, and it is the traditional Italian Christmas cake. In the lead-up to Christmas one year, my grandmother was determined to find the best panettone in all of Torino and was tasting them for weeks. The winning panettone still graces our Christmas table every year.
What is your advice for putting together a holiday party outfit?
Dress up! Put on something fun that you never normally wear! Sparkle a bit, why not! Wear colours! Wear something that makes you feel good. And wear something that allows you to drink and eat a bit too much.
Anything else you want to add?
I love this collection so much, and I hope it paves the way for many a raucous holiday party this year!
Watch a very Angelica Hicks holiday come to life
Make every moment merrier this season with Paperless Post
Whether you’re bringing the whole family together for a delicious Christmas panettone, hosting a glamorous New Year’s Eve gathering, or simply getting together with loved ones to warm up by the fire this winter, send invitations that get everyone into the spirit of celebrating—and use our built-in RSVP tracking and helpful tools to spend more time focusing on the important details, like that perfect holiday party outfit.