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Throwing
SHADE

By Angela Caraway-Carlton

PAINTED ART COMES TO LIFE ON EVERYTHING FROM LUXURY HANDBAGS TO HIGH – FASHION — OFTEN WITH A DASH OF REINVENTION.
As one of the most recognized luxury brands in the world, it’s plausible that Louis Vuitton broke down walls — and pretense — when it collaborated with the late artist Stephen Sprouse in 2001 for a limited-edition monogram graffiti collection. While the bold move first incited audible gasps and cries of blasphemy, it’s now commonplace for luxury brands to partner with artists. South Florida artists and fashion makers are following suit, using their talents once reserved for traditional canvases to paint everything from high-end handbags and fashion to luxury items like perfume bottles and even Champagne bottles.

SAKAL PALM BEACH

OKSANA SAKA

It takes the artist around 20 hours to create the dainty top-handle, 50’s-inspired handbags, from priming to hand painting every detail and properly sealing the bags for durability. “Painting is one thing, but this process makes it luxury. The paint doesn’t crack, it wears well,” Sakal explains. While she offers signature designs like her blue-and-white chinoiserie, every bag is distinct as she hand paints every piece upon order. Many of the fantastical handbags parade feminine florals, birds, sea creatures and shells, and are embellished with charms, ribbons, lace and even ostrich feathers. “I believe there is nothing like this in the world,” says Sakal. Her painted beauties are sold at Fivestory locations from Palm Beach to New York, as well as at trunk shows, and through Instagram.
(sakalpalmbeach.com) first began custom painting clients’ Louis Vuitton and Birkin bags but wanted to express her original artistry with her own bespoke handbags. Painting always came natural to the Ukraine-born designer, who also studied fashion in New York, though her talents were further developed by daily practice and art classes. While Sakal’s whimsical designs celebrate South Florida and Northeast coastal destinations like the Hamptons and Connecticut, there’s also a heavy sprinkling of fairytale magic and mythology. “Growing up in the Ukraine, the area was poor and dismal, and we didn’t have a TV, so I needed an escape,” Sakal reveals. “I read a lot of books and would dream about faraway places and use my imagination when painting.”

SIGAL

SIGAL COHEN WOLKWEIZ

Fashioning wearable art that’s reminiscent of a vibrant watercolor painting is Sigal Cohen Wolkowiez’s innate gift. With fabrics dripping in ombre hues, juicy citrus fruits, tropical flowers and greenery, her eponymous resort wear brand Sigal (shopsigal.com) embodies Miami’s essence and jet-set lifestyle. “I’m an artist first and foremost. I grew up painting the lush surroundings and life of my homeland in Venezuela,” says Cohen Wolkowiez. While the designer first began her career as a graphic artist in advertising, a passion for fashion and a love of textiles pulled at her, and she completed a printed textiles program at the Royal College of Art in London. She found her niche in watercolors and water-based inks, and now hand paints her designs that are transferred to clothing and accessories and are sold at her Surfside boutique. “I’m using my lifelong life talent, but I’m using it in a conscious way to create something new and unique,” she says of her limited-edition collections of swimwear, coverups, tops, skirts and dresses.
Working in her light-filled home studio, she first makes impulsive strokes on a blank canvas with a brush soaked in water, and then gradually adds ink to form her bold designs. “I create motifs that are inspired by Miami’s DNA and everyday life. The idea is an elevated Miami souvenir that you can take everywhere,” she says about reinterpreting things that South Floridians see every day, such as the magenta morning glory flowers that grow next to the beach to our turquoise waters. Once in her office, she scans the artwork and then begins the tedious process of layering motifs together and perfecting the fit. The designer uses only non-toxic printing inks and employs factories with sustainability at the forefront. “Fashion is walking art, but it’s an art that has to be very mindful because it goes on bodies” she says. “I focus on the silhouette, how the clothing fits, and what the print is going to look like in motion.”

THE BUNGALOW AGENCY

DANA GOLDBERG

Fashion consultant Dana Goldberg of The Bungalow Agency is also seeing a trend toward artists being commissioned to reinvent existing pieces. “I think women are having fun creating something different out of the same bag or pair of shoes to stand out from what everyone has,” says Goldberg, who also notes the eco-conscious efforts. “Making the old look new is a great practice towards a more sustainable industry.”
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LALA CUSTOM LAB

LALA CUSTOM LAB

MARIELYS JIMÉNEZ

Former swimwear designer Marielys Jiménez of LaLa Custom Lab (@lalacustomlab) follows that ethos, transforming handbags, sneakers, hats, handbags, clothing and home items, adding her own flair and personalized touches. “I’ll add accessories, change the straps, or personalize an item with paint or printing,” she says. Jiménez also reimagines damaged or worn luxury goods and meaningful heirlooms passed on from a beloved family member with her art. “I love to repair and bring items back to life. I respect the original design, but I like to put a different touch on each piece,” Jiménez says. “Bring me something that’s old, tattered or not aesthetically pleasing, and I’ll turn it into something beautiful.”
In addition to resurrecting the old, Jiménez creates signature items like hand-painted Meraki summer hats, ecofriendly vegan leather handbags and customized hand-bag straps. Her capsules flaunt neon acrylic letters and playful shapes and showcase a variety of techniques from painting to screen printing and embroidery. The designer employs grandmothers who moved to Miami from her homeland of Venezuela and are experts in time-honored embroidery techniques. “This not only keeps the traditions of embroidery alive for new generations, but incorporates their crafts with new techniques and designs,” Jiménez says. Keeping art alive with a renewed spirit.

Photos courtesy of SAKAL Palm Beach, SIGAL, The Bungalow Agency and LALA Custom Lab

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