Chanoa Tarle, a repeat Deshabille contributor, was lucky enough to discover the artwork of George Vargas. Once he began to produce fashion featuring his designs, she jumped at the chance to interview him. Of course we said yes…
Following his first ayahuasca experience, many of his works went on to feature even more esoteric themes linked to spirituality, meditation and creative, cosmic expansion. Post-ayahuasca, Vargas knew exactly what he wanted to express. He describes his work as a “complete engagement with beauty”. He follows his yen for beauty and the more he focuses on this beauty, the more it grows and the more it appears throughout his existence. A fitting destiny for the Australian artist with parents hailing from Peru!
“It’s a fun journey, linked a lot to my meditation and spirituality. It’s good to unplug from the art and the world. The idea of feeling you’ve got everything and don’t need anything. That’s what I want to express in the next series of artwork. I went through an exploration of desire and the mystery of women and every girl is completely different- and obviously every human being. It’s a fascinating journey. I see a lot of femininity in nature. Masculinity is interesting too because I’m reacting to that…” – George Vargas
Fast forward to 2018 and his distinctive designs are the focal point of a new luxury fashion brand, The House of Vargas. High quality tees feature his artwork in an array of colors. Incredible scarves and sarongs in silk and chiffon highlight the beauty of the women who wear them – never overpowering them – while serving as wearable art. There is something about the way he produces the art and produces the collections. There’s an energy to every piece that is nearly palpable. George attributes it to beauty, a common theme in his works: “I suppose it’s this overpowering beauty I’m feeling for the subject and it’s captured in the vibration and the line and the colors. It’s a bit overpowering like a drug. Intoxicating.”
“Luxury is all about self-expression to me because you’ve got clothing that all looks the same out there. Luxury to me is having something unique to wear. The scarves will always be limited edition. [I’m offering] jackets of only five pieces in the world.” Since there will never be another you, he loves the idea of offering something truly unique.
Since there will never be another you, he loves the idea of offering something truly unique. Art-adorned leather motorcycle jackets are coming soon, the product of a new partnership with a leather specialist- as well as leather bomber jackets for men and women. The first, set to debut this month, is the Aki Jacket.
His fashion brand has so far developed in a very organic way. And we can expect to see a lot more from The House of Vargas in the future. The custom stories he crafts for each design will evolve into future fashion films. More product categories will be introduced. We’ll see artful exhibitions. He’s even ready to transform the likes of nightclubs, restaurants and yoga centers; his designs are available for custom commercial interior design.
Instagram: @galacticemperor12
Editor’s Note: When the author interviewed the artist for Deshabille Magazine, the video call wouldn’t register her face. After their conversation, Vargas looked her up on Instagram and saw her as a striking character for his pieces. She is now one of his muses, featured regularly in his works.
About Chanoa Tarle
Chanoa Tarle is a freelance copywriter, journalist and editor specializing in fashion and luxury goods/lifestyle.
Her work has appeared in magazines including ELEVATE and Luxury Hoteliers and she’s written for an inspiring list of companies including Scaling Retail and Neiman Marcus.
Get in touch – Email chanoa@chanoatarle.com
