Picture This - Tyler Ellis Collaborates with Artist Matt Rogers
A chance encounter with a painting at a mutual friend’s home led accessory designer Tyler Ellis to team up on a new handbag collaboration for Spring Summer 2022 with the Napa Valley artist Matt Rogers that typifies California’s breezy splendor.
“I first discovered Matt’s iconic Palm Trees at a friend’s home in LA. The eclectic colors and whimsical silhouettes of the artwork immediately sparked a vision of my LJ Handbag rendered with his eye-catching motifs. I expressed interest in the painting and was connected to Matt via email (rather serendipitously he happened to be a very close friend of my friend). Having briefed Matt on my initial idea he was thankfully on board! My factory in Italy sent him the front calfskin panels of the bag and he went to work hand painting each piece with his striking technicolored Palm Trees. It’s been such a dream watching our ideas come into fruition, truly creating a piece of wearable art.” Tyler Ellis
Rogers synthesizes Pop art with classic Western painting, depicting timeless subjects in a wholly original and contemporary style marked by bold colors, energetic gestures, and unexpected compositions. A love of nature and an adventurous spirit infuses his work: his well-known “Dark Horse” series is comprised of highly graphic, monochromatic paintings of horses and riders, or abstracted images of racing hooves, while a recent series of tree paintings draws from his lifelong passion for skiing and a climbing expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro. Verging on abstraction, the new paintings capture the essence of their subject with icy palettes and vertiginous perspectives. In Rogers’ work, one can sense the artist’s deep understanding of California’s complicated, dark, bright beauty. As a lifelong resident, he knows firsthand that California’s landscape is as precarious as it is idyllic--prone to devastation in the form of earthquakes, fires, and mudslides. It is a place where utopia coexists with dystopia, and beach culture rubs shoulders with counterculture--a paradox that infuses much of his unique work.
“I like to think of myself as a California dreamer. Palm trees, convertible Cadillacs, sunshine, beaches, fashion and fun are celebrated as daily life here. When Tyler asked me to paint on her bags, the palm trees seemed a natural fit. I look at the palm tree grouping as if they are a family portrait. I create personal meaning by thinking of each tree as a personality. The different colors describing that individual. Once I decide who the family or group of friends are, the rest is easy. It’s a great way to celebrate our friends and family and tie them in to the environment we love” Matt Rogers
The new collaboration has seen Rogers re-work Tyler Ellis’ signature LJ Handbag with a distinctly Californian motif- hand painted one of a kind impasto palm trees in brilliant colors inspired by the artist’s Techno Palms work.
The limited edition semi structured bag is made to order. Handcrafted in calfskin, it features a triangular front flap finished with a custom spear lock closure, handmade whipstitch detail, pinecone feet and Tyler Ellis’ signature Thayer blue lining.
Available in two sizes with a variety of harmonious custom accent colors for the handle and whipstitch detailing.
Tyler Ellis x Matt Rogers LJ Handbag Large $5,000
Tyler Ellis x Matt Rogers LJ Handbag Small $4,000