Artists

Cara Carbajal, a Houston native, is the founder of The Pop-Up Co-Op, a boutique she launched in 2017 that quickly evolved into a vibrant platform showcasing over 200 women-owned brands and artists. Now rebranded as The Doll House and located in the M-K-T development in The Heights, the store reflects Cara’s commitment to creativity, sustainability, and empowering female entrepreneurs through its eclectic, artful design and community-driven mission. Learn more at https://welcometothedollhousehtx.com/ Cara Carbajal and Tina Zulu have been collaborating on kimono redesigns for over five years, blending their shared passion for fashion, art, and cultural storytelling. Together, they’ve transformed vintage kimonos into bold, contemporary statement pieces that celebrate creativity and individuality. A curated selection of Kimono Zulu designs is available...

Ally Ham is a self-taught artist based in Houston, TX, originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. With a background in art therapy, her work is deeply influenced by themes of spirituality, nature, symbolism, and love. She primarily paints with acrylics but also explores mixed media and collage, drawing visual inspiration from folk and tattoo art. As a resident artist at Hardy and Nance Studios, Ally is known for her extraordinary technique of painting entirely with her mouth, a skill born from living with Arthrogryposis—transforming challenge into a powerful force for creative expression. Follow Ally’s art on Instagram @allypaintsthings. See Ally's reimagined vintage kimono "Dragon in Bloom" here: https://kimonozulu.com/products/dragon-in-bloom-by-ally-ham-kimono-zulu-reimagined-vintage-kimono-artist-collaboration

           Shop pieces by Magpies & Peacocks' as seen at Neiman Marcus fashion exhibition, May 2024.     Magpies & Peacocks, the nation's only 501(c)3 non-profit design house, specializes in the creation of up-cycled, zero waste and sustainable goods from reclaimed material, and the curation, restoration and redesign of vintage wear. As the global consensus on climate change rises so does the urgency and scale of action required to keep our planet safe. Immediate action is demanded of the fashion & textile sector as major contributors to the problem, calling for fashion stakeholders – from raw material producers, textile & apparel manufacturers and fashion brands – to identify areas for action, to develop a coherent and unified position on climate change mitigation and...

          Shop Judy's kimono designs as seen at our Neiman Marcus fashion exhibition, May 2024:     *NEW* Designs for MFAH Trunk Show July 5-7    Vintage enthusiast and fashion designer Judy Masliyah of My Flaming Heart reimagined and redesigned our long, silk kimonos, shortening them by draping and resewing the length to create a modern bustle skirt effect. By adding unexpected details like corset lacing and peek-a-boo cutouts, Judy’s kimono designs have a sense of whimsy and glamour. “My approach to working with the kimonos is the opposite of how I design, explains Judy. I usually start with the idea of a silhouette and then try to find a fabric that works with what is in my head. With the...

D.O.N. (Divinely Operating Nature)R.A.S.T.A (Realizing Appropriate Solutions Through Awareness) As seen at Neiman Marcus fashion exhibition: "Rastacasso" Reimagined Vintage Kimono - Kimono Zulu Artist Collaboration with DonRasta Rseenal With a dynamic and multifaceted artistic style, DonRasta Rseenal emerges as an artistic visionary, articulating the essence of a "New Generation" within Jamaica's Reggae Music culture and the Rastafarian ethos of "One Love" with various mediums of artistic expressions. Hailing from the vibrant yet politically charged community of Allman Town in Kingston, Jamaica, DonRasta Rseenal cultivated a deep passion for the arts from a young age. Drawing inspiration from his surroundings, he found expression through poetry, spoken word, songwriting, and various forms of visual arts, channeling his experiences into creative outlets. Now...

    Shop Selven's kimono designs as seen at our Neiman Marcus fashion exhibition, May 2024:   "When Tina asked me to participate in the Kimono Zulu creative exploration it was like being asked to revisit a book I loved whose content was still lingering within my memory banks, explains Selven O’Keef Jarmon. Three of my most treasured influences are Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo. In working on the Kimono Zulu project, my approach cannot escape the conceptual nature thatexists in Japanese fashion and their overall influence on the world of fashion. With these ingrained sensibilities, I also approach each Kimono with its own minimal complexities derived from Western design influences as well. Each kimono I touch is met with a respect...

See Mr.D's reimagined kimono designs here: https://kimonozulu.com/search?q=sebastien Sebastien "Mr. D1987" Boileau was influenced by the American Pop Art and Graffiti movement of the 60s, 70s, and 80s and began his artistic endeavors in Paris in 1987 at the age of 14. He migrated to the United States in 1998, where he developed his signature style that he calls “Canpressionism“ a neo-impressionist style primarily done with spray paint and street art techniques. In the early-90s Mr. D began to travel the world painting in remote countries like Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Senegal, and many Western destinations. Mr. D’s style can be seen in many cities around the United States, including in Miami at Art Basel and across Europe. Follow @mrd1987 on Instagram.  

Shop Emilie's kimono designs created for our Neiman Marcus fashion exhibition, May 2024.         Emilie Duval is a French-American multi-disciplinary visual artist based in Houston and New York. Her artistic journey is characterized by a deep exploration of contemporary issues within the digital age. Through a blend of paintings and digital animations, Duval seeks to unravel the complexities of society's structure and the digital world's impact on our lives. Her work often revolves around the intricate balance of societal structures and the potential future shifts within this delicate equilibrium. Duval's portfolio is diverse, featuring series such as "The Garden of Yalta," "Computational Dust of Existence," and "Digital Heterotopias," among others. These series of paintings and visual installations highlight her ability to...