Georgia Canning on creating “physical, immersive moments” in 3D

“I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades,” says Georgia Canning, a 3D designer who’s worked with clients like Collina Strada, Paolina Russo, Marc Jacobs, 1 Granary, PC Music, and Knwls. “I’ve always had a natural curiosity for a broad range of digital creative practices – from classic print design and typography to 3D work.” The London-based creative is also art director at Studio Halia – a collective exploring emerging technologies.

Like many successful creatives, this success didn’t arrive overnight. It’s the result of years of grafting, networking and learning the latest skills in digital design to get her work noticed. Georgia spent her formative years in Brisbane, where she attended a “strict religious school”. With little room for creative expression IRL, she relied on online communities like Tumblr, where she discovered digital art and niche fashion threads. By the age of 12, she was already experimenting with Photoshop. “This early gravitation to digital tools became the foundation for what I do now,” she says. When she eventually got her hands on fashion magazines like i-D and Oyster, it opened up a whole new world of visual storytelling that would drive her towards the career she has today.

When Georgia moved to the UK at 17, she was determined to get a foot in the door. “I couldn’t afford international university tuition at the time, so I did internships while living and working at a pub in Kent,” she says. Her first stint was at Dazed, aged 18, followed by 1 Granary for over three years. After that, she landed an internship at Hypebeast in New York, then Collina Strada and The Digital Fairy. “These experiences all shaped me far more than traditional education,” says Georgia. While interning, she always sought out career advice. Many art directors suggested graphic design, so Georgia enrolled onto the BA course at UAL Camberwell. She learned to use Blender in her first year, and by final year, she was already freelancing full-time as a 3D artist.

A year on from graduating, Georgia is now working with brands that she genuinely identifies with. “That perspective is rare in design because, so often, you see it being done by someone outside of the brand’s audience,” she says. One particularly special project is the set design for Paulina Russo’s A/W runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week 2024: a 3D render of an icy glowing floor, brought to life by SubRosa Agency’s physical rocks. She also designed the collection’s seasonal logo, along with emblems that were incorporated throughout the collection. “It felt like the ultimate world-building exercise,” she says. “Seeing how my work was interpreted and applied across so many elements by other artists – from the clothes to the set and even artistic installations and balloons.”

Looking ahead, the artist is seeking deeper connections. “I’m craving more balance,” she reflects, “creating physical, immersive moments and working closely with others.” Her desire is to create meaningful, tactile experiences, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.