Donald Robertson (artist) facts for kids

Donald Robertson is a well-known artist and a creative director. He was born on March 7, 1962. He works for a big company called Esteé Lauder Companies.

Donald Robertson's Career Journey

Donald Robertson has had an exciting career in art and fashion. He started his journey in the 1980s. He has worked with many famous brands and magazines.

Early Career and Education

In the 1980s, Donald Robertson went to the Ontario College of Art and Design. However, he did not finish his studies there. The school asked him to leave because his drawings were not "realistic." He liked to draw people taller and thinner than they actually were.

In 1984, a makeup company called MAC Cosmetics started. Robertson helped with their creative direction. This means he helped decide how their products and ads would look. In 1991, he moved to New York City. There, he worked at Hearst Communications, a large media company.

Working with Magazines

At Hearst, he helped launch Marie Claire magazine in 1993. Later, he helped redesign Cosmopolitan magazine. After that, Robertson moved to another big company, Condé Nast. He worked on magazines like Glamour and Cargo.

In 1998, Esteé Lauder Companies bought MAC Cosmetics. Robertson continued to work with MAC. He helped create the MAC Viva Glam makeup line in 1994. All the money from this line goes to the Mac AIDS Fund. This fund helps people affected by a serious illness.

Becoming a Creative Director

In 2007, Robertson became a creative director at Esteé Lauder Companies. He also worked on projects for other brands. These included Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, and Bergdorf Goodman. In 2014, he was an artist-in-residency at Eric Firestone Gallery. This means he worked as an artist there for a period. In 2016, he worked with Amber Rose. They launched a new makeup brand called Flirt Cosmetics.

Exciting Collaborations

Donald Robertson has worked with many different groups and companies. These partnerships are called collaborations. He often uses his art to help good causes.

Helping Animals and Nature

In 2014, Robertson teamed up with the ASPCA. He designed products to help this animal protection group. The money from these products went to the ASPCA. In 2015, he worked with them again. This time, it was for their Save the Bees campaign. He created T-shirts that raised money for Buglife. Buglife is a UK group that helps insects. In 2016, he designed a sweater for Bloomingdales. A part of the money from sales went to the The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This foundation helps find cures for breast cancer.

Fashion and Art Partnerships

In 2014, Robertson worked with J. Crew. They created a line of graphic T-shirts together. That same year, he worked with fashion designer Giles Deacon. Robertson designed a flamingo picture for Giles's fashion collection. He also designed a lip picture for another collection. Robertson also took part in an art event at a French shop called Colette.

In 2015, Robertson worked with a New York shop called STORY. His art was featured there. Other products with his designs were also sold. These included items from Canada Goose and Warby Parker. In 2016, he launched a clothing collection with Junk Food Clothing Co. This collection included T-shirts for women, men, and children.

Donald Robertson as an Author

Donald Robertson has also written books for children. His stories are fun and creative.

Mitford the Giraffe's Adventures

In August 2015, he published his first children's book. It was called Mitford at the Fashion Zoo. The book is about a giraffe named Mitford. Mitford has adventures at a fashion magazine in New York City. Robertson calls the fashion world a "zoo." The book was launched in North America in 2017. Robertson wrote a second book about Mitford. It is called Mitford at the Hollywood Zoo. This book tells about Mitford's time at the Academy Zoowards.

In September 2017, he published another book. It was called Donald: The Book. This book shows many pieces from his art collections.

Awards and Recognition

Donald Robertson shares his art on social media. His art often shows funny scenes from the fashion world. In 2014, he was nominated for a special award. It was the CFDA "Instagrammer of the Year" award. This award recognized his popular art on Instagram.

Donald Robertson's Personal Life

Donald Robertson is married to Kim Gieske. She is an interior designer. They have five children together. In 2020, their family moved to Dallas, Texas.