Cayate Bonita – A Creative Spark in Streetwear
It was a spark between two classmates who wanted to create something playful, expressive, and artistically bold. Inspired by illustration, streetwear, and the colors of creativity, Cayate Bonita was born—a clothing brand where each piece told its own story.
Although we didn’t continue the journey due to budget constraints and the unpredictability of life, the vision I had as the creative head of the brand remains very much alive in my heart—and in my designs. These pieces never saw the light of day, but they deserve to be seen. This is my tribute to Cayate Bonita.
"Keep Me Posted" Tee
This long sleeve tee featured hand-drawn sticky notes with the phrase “Keep Me Posted.” I designed the whole graphic in a sketched ink style, adding geometric shapes on the sleeves in our brand colors.
It was a concept piece that never got sampled, but the design lives on as one of my favorite digital artworks from the brand.
Manufactured Collection: Knitted Foot Coverings 🧦
While many designs stayed in the concept phase, we did manage to fully manufacture a sock collection under the playful title:
"Knitted Foot Coverings."
"Knitted Foot Coverings."
We designed and produced three initial styles:
Black Cameo Pattern Sock – a subtle yet bold look featuring an abstract inkblot design.
Purple Cameo Pattern Sock – a feminine, vibrant twist on the same pattern, using deep purple tones.
“Kill Bill” Inspired Sock – bright yellow with a black side stripe, inspired by the iconic jumpsuit from the movie. Along the side, it read:
“We Are Your Friends” — one of Cayate Bonita’s signature taglines.
“We Are Your Friends” — one of Cayate Bonita’s signature taglines.
These were packaged, labeled, and shipped—marking our first and only officially manufactured collection.
It felt amazing to hold something we dreamed up and brought to life.
It felt amazing to hold something we dreamed up and brought to life.
We had a whole photoshoot for them too!
"Day Dreamer" Tee
Featuring Cayate Bonita’s mascot, the toy duck, this tee used the brand’s colors to illustrate a soft and dreamy vibe.
The tagline? “Day Dreamer.”
The tagline? “Day Dreamer.”
This concept embodied the youthful and imaginative tone we wanted the brand to have. It stayed digital, but it was one of the designs I most wanted to wear myself.
“Sausig” Tee
This one was just for fun. I sketched a silly sausage on a fork, gave it a face, and added the text:
“Sausig.”
“Sausig.”
It was random and goofy, but it felt like the kind of bold humor our brand stood for. I never got to sample it, but I still think it’d be a hit on the right streetwear tee.
Mug with a Mouth
Not everything I designed for Cayate Bonita was clothing. I also explored quirky product ideas—like this mug with a cartoony mouth printed on one side.
From the front view, when someone drinks from it, it looks like they have a goofy cartoon mouth—complete with a broken front tooth.
It was silly, unexpected, and exactly the kind of fun that Cayate Bonita celebrated.
It was silly, unexpected, and exactly the kind of fun that Cayate Bonita celebrated.
Though this never went past the prototype sketch phase, I still think it would’ve made for an amazing gift or collectible.
Cozy Knit Animal Pullover
This design actually reached the sample stage. I wanted a soft, cozy knit with playful, abstract animal shapes stitched across a beige base. I wanted to create something cozy and playful, using our brand’s signature colors—cyan, magenta, and yellow. The sample looked exactly how I imagined, but we couldn’t afford to manufacture more.
Purple Checkerboard Sweater
Similar in tone to the cozy animal knit, this piece had a checkered knit pattern in soft purple, aimed more toward a feminine audience.
I also had a physical sample made, and it turned out amazing in person.
Seeing it brought the design to life, even if we couldn’t move forward with a production run.
I also had a physical sample made, and it turned out amazing in person.
Seeing it brought the design to life, even if we couldn’t move forward with a production run.
Jawbreaker Hoodie
Inspired by a jawbreaker candy machine, this hoodie was all about fun and vibrance. The primary color was navy blue, layered with a camouflage-style ink blob pattern of cyan, magenta, and yellow—Cayate Bonita’s signature palette.
I even worked with a professional seamstress to create custom patterns. Unfortunately, the concept was shelved, but I still think this would've been a fan favorite.
Made a cool packaging for it too!
Orange Pop
This was one of my very first experiments with fashion design. I leaned into my illustration background and focused on color storytelling.
The piece combined bright orange, beige, and dark gray, creating a bold contrast. It was meant to be iconic—something that catches your eye from across the street.
The piece combined bright orange, beige, and dark gray, creating a bold contrast. It was meant to be iconic—something that catches your eye from across the street.
Though it never made it to production, it sparked the beginning of my fashion design journey.
"Yellow" Rain Hoodie
Vancouver’s rainy weather inspired this one.
I wanted to create a waterproof hoodie that paid tribute to the classic yellow raincoat from the movie IT—yes, that Georgie scene.
The hoodie had our Cayate Bonita logo front and center, and the whole thing was built to be practical yet stylish.
I wanted to create a waterproof hoodie that paid tribute to the classic yellow raincoat from the movie IT—yes, that Georgie scene.
The hoodie had our Cayate Bonita logo front and center, and the whole thing was built to be practical yet stylish.
I designed the entire look and explored potential local waterproofing fabric options, but the costs made manufacturing unfeasible at the time.
