Thalia Economo is a Greek-Australian Creative Director and Art Director whose three-decade career spans graphic design, campaign development, fashion, and editorial art direction. From working with iconic Australian brands like Myer, Country Road, Cotton On, and Target to leading boutique studio work in wine branding and architecture, Thalia’s practice is defined by intuition, cultural fluency, and visual sharpness. She’s equally passionate about mentoring emerging creatives and advocating for creative authenticity amid rapid change in the advertising world.
Can you tell us a little about your first few steps in your career. Was there a moment or experience when you realised this was what you'd do as a career?
I studied Graphic Design, Bachelor of Arts in Design and Illustration with a minor in Photography in Perth at university. At my grad show I got a job with an Interior Designer who was moonlighting in exhibition design and I was one of two Graphic Designers in that business. This led to more serious Graphic Design work and clients like The Institute Of Architecture, WA Chapter. I would design their annual Architecture Week event from brochures to the actual awards, exhibition and the main event. After 5 years there and still modelling, (as I got into that being spotted for STORM London) I was offered a Graphic Design role for Adcorp Australia. I more or less developed a creative arm away from the core recruitment advertising. I was designing the AGWA (Art Gallery of WA) monthly publication, had WA Fashion Institute, also Art Directing and Designing highbrow branding for developers, designing brochures and other print comms. All still using plates – I was fumbling through Quark (the predecessor of Indesign) Freehand (Illustrator came next) and Photoshop 1.
Before long I was a Creative Director. Moving next to a boutique design studio Turner Design as a Senior Graphic Designer, we had all of WA/NZ wineries Pierro, Evans & Tate, Amberley, Cloudy Bay to name only a few and architecture firms, such as Woods Bagot. Wine branding and labels which took 200 hours each, 2 weeks deciding on a pantone warm grey, kerning type for days was common. Design was slow and considered. Printing offset was stressful but the end product was equally rewarding and late night press checks were part of the process.
Deciding to give up modelling after a stint in Shanghai and my last job with David Jones at 29 years of age, I then entered the other side of the camera working for a fashion brand with eight flagship stores around Australia called Pierucci. Art Directing shoots, packaging, working with the football team, The Dockers dressing them in suits; pouring over the Solstiss lace in our couture range. Casting, producing choreographing, PR-ing and creating graphics and comms for our shows in Perth and Melbourne. WA supers Gemma Ward and Nicole Trunfio, to name a small few, all featured in the shows. Then over to Melbourne freelancing in my 30s. Graphic Design, branding, packaging and everything in between – both in design companies and agencies.
About 40 I got lured by the CD who I had worked with previously to work as a Graphic Designer / Art Director on Myer for Clemenger. That kicked off another 10 years of Art Directing on campaigns for predominately Home, Lifestyle, Beauty and some retail fashion for all of Australia's iconic brands. Art Direction for Myer, Country Road, Cotton On and Creative Directing on Kmart, Sheet Society and Target.
Now I freelance while I contemplate my 28 year career in the midst of such a shift in the way campaigns for retail are produced and executed. Mainly working on content motion/stills for META and YouTube.
What lessons from your career have most shaped your style and approach?
Tell us about the core values or philosophies that guide your creative practice.
What needs to change, so emerging and under-represented creative professionals have more opportunity, are seen and heard?
I have always been open to fresh new talent. I think brands need to understand they don't need to employ creatives who look or dress like their brand. I am attracted to a good folio with some signature style and a good 'personality' always wins me over.Also I am fed up with upper management wanting creatives to be all-rounders. Be an expert in motion or typography or environmental or sustainable production or find a genre that you want to be creative in music or wellbeing or social justice and push a self-driven project as far as you can. And the right brand will seek you out.
How important is it that creative professionals find their unique voice?
Looking ahead, what do you think are the key factors that will influence change for creative professionals?
We are in such a period of change. Campaigns have less budgets everything is being produced in less time. I think the media has always shaped the creative. Pasteups Vs Youtube 8 sec spots, Vs TikTok or a window display and META. The Media determines the way creative is shaped. So not being attached to how anything is being produced and looking at each channel and making sure your creative adapts to that channel or medium.