Photography by Lauren Zavala
It’s not every day that you can effortlessly incorporate art and luxury into your favorite outfit, but Lauren Zavala, founder, designer and lead artist of Zavala Bespoke, strives to give people just that. The artist – and new Providence resident – paints lush designs on luxury leather goods – alongside a variety of canvases – that are customized to each individual client’s needs.
Although she has always loved art, it was the difficulty of her master’s degree that led Zavala to rely heavily on the practice of art as a stress reliever. One day while Christmas shopping during her college years, she saw someone creating artwork using leather paints and was inspired to gift her entire family hand-painted leather goods for the holidays. Needless to say, the lucky recipients of the gifts quickly fell in love with the idea of wearable art and were encouraged to start their own business.
Zavala quickly began painting on any leather canvas she could find and built a strong portfolio that allowed her to break into the industry. It was always important to her to create something that fit her clients’ personal style.
Photography by Lauren Zavala
“Have something My “Style is super important to me. I feel cool. Confident. I want others to experience that too,” says Zavala.
She creates designs that incorporate bright colors, pop art, Mexican folk art, and impressionism – all inspired by her favorite artists like Ashley Longshore, Lucio Carvalho, and Frida Kahlo. Some of her most popular designs range from monograms and butterflies to skulls and lips. She experiments not only with designs, but also with canvases and has painted wood sculptures, sheet metal, a car dashboard, and even skateboards.
Each of her creations is customizable and fashionable; she receives requests from clients for everything from upcycling old handbags to creating new designs that people buy just for her art. Some clients provide Zavala with specific designs they want, while others send general ideas and still others give the artist free reign. What is important to Zavala in each of her projects is that “each piece fits the bag,” she says. “I want my art to complement a bag, not work against it.”
Photography by Lauren Zavala
What happens if she makes a mistake? That doesn’t happen. To avoid mistakes in the designer pieces, Zavala sends each client a digital model of the final result before she starts painting so they can make final adjustments. She also uses a protective sleeve while she’s painting to protect the valuable canvases.
Zavala has painted for brands such as Neiman Marcus, Staud and Coach, making her an experienced artist but always looking to expand. She is currently doing custom pieces and is working on a “collection of canvases that explore metamorphosis and monarchy,” as well as painting live images for major brands and independent clients. Anyone interested in one of Zavala Bespoke’s incredible pieces can inquire at zavalabespoke.com.
