It isn’t often that a luxury product arrives on the market and is so different, so interesting that it immediately captures the imagination of everyone who sees it. But that’s exactly what happened with a new line of exotic products recently introduced to the United States by a young, once in a lifetime designer, Kay Roy, the genius designer behind it all.
Added to it is a Hungarian entrepreneur, Gabor Vonyo (Gabriel,) who knows his craft only too well; and both of whom were inspired by the world of art and spirit that induced an undeniable creative desire to bring something unique and beautiful to those who care. Gabriel and Kay Roy of Vayaro, who came together almost by destiny, have now created a magnificent new line of leather goods called Vayaro for the high end luxury markets.
The pieces are breathtaking. Nothing in history ever 
came close to it, and when one marvels at them, they almost feel like the past and the future comes together. All that we have known so far and all that we can only imagine comes to life in Kay Roy’s work. A unique artist who is almost too humble for his talent! And, that is what makes him shine. There is no arrogance or a need to compete. His work speaks for itself! And, he is perfectly content with that! And, that, right there is a sign of a true artist who FEELS his craft!
Back in Budapest, Gabriel was a successful businessman and restaurant owner, but was looking for something bigger, something more significant to do with his life. About seven years ago, local artist Kay Roy walked into his restaurant and asked about displaying his art. After talking for a while, they discovered that they had a terrific synergy, a feeling that they were very sim
ilar in many ways.
“We were very alike in our philosophy,†Gabriel says. “Before I felt like I was alone, and then I met Kay Roy, and I could tell that he thought very much like I did, and I didn’t feel alone anymore.†As a natural chemistry, Gabriel has become the executive behind the brand and Kay Roy is the talent crafting the bags, the cuffs and the briefcases that the World has never seen before. His work is not only new, his work is futuristic, and it points in a direction of a brand new awakening, a new understanding of life that no other designer to this day has been able to convey.
As they continued with their friendship, exchanging ideas and hopes for their future, Kay Roy has developed his artistic pursuits, something that necessitated when he was burglarized and all his possessions were stolen. “I had no TV, nothing to entertain me really, so I started to paint. When I was six years old I was into martial arts, and that sense of discipline and passion helped me develop my visual art.†During our interview he mentioned a number of times how important discipline is. And, that is the truth: If one is not going to discipline oneself, life will do it for him! What an advanced mind Kay Rot has to make that statement. Perhaps it is not a happenstance that he is more successful from the start than any other designer. Kay Roy designs by design. And, that design is not something pre-arranged, but rather his understanding of the World around him, including himself.
Vacationing in Bali and Thailand, Kay Roy picked up some precious stones and began making primitive leather bracelets with them. “That first one was kind of rough, but I was learning new techniques and working with new materials,†he says. Those crude early designs were to lead to a creative new direction in high fashion leather art. Despite success in their respective fields, the two friends longed for more, something bigger outside the realm of their current interests and existence. It was from this desire and the artistic dreams woven by Kay Roy that Vayaro was born.
Coming up with a series of leather designs that were truly visionary, Gabriel and Kay Roy decided to make a commitment to creating a successful new lines of products based on their inspirations and energy. They decided to leave everything behind, selling all their possessions in Hungary and moving to Los Angeles. “We both felt that this was something that would be successful. You can feel sometimes that you have something great inside you, and that is what drove us.â€
Vayaro was born just a year ago, a line of leather products unlike anything else in the world. “When I design, I just let my mind wander,†Kay Roy says. “I never have a plan. I never say ‘now I am going to do this or that.’ Instead I see pictures from another world.†Immersing oneself in the unknown and letting go is a prelude to creation! This understanding came up many times in our discussion. This is not to be taken lightly. All arts (or rather, maybe realities) come from this. Is there something we do not understand about ourselves? There might be. Look at the work of Kay Roy and you will see, feel and touch! Touching the unknown alone means consciousness.
The products that have been manifested from these visions are truly extraordinary. The bags, for both men and women, are created using a variety of shapes and cuts of the highest quality Italian leather, and as the purses take their creative shapes, they are reinforced with high strength rope fibers, with no stitching on the corners or sides. Once the fundamental shape of each handmade bag is formed, Kay Roy’s creative sprit takes over, using designs and patterns incorporating semi-precious stones, sterling silver, beads, crystals, hand carved amulets and other materials suggested by his imagination.
Now, these artful leather creations – bags for men and women, accessories and beautifully crafted guitar cases – are becoming available at a few select shops around the country, including Fred Segal’s in West Hollywood and Lior at the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shops in Las Vegas.
“There is a story about our visits to very nice luxurious shops in Los Angeles,†Gabriel says. “We don’t really go out and sell Vayaro, we just approached the people in the store with a couple of our leather art samples, and they immediately became interested, gathering around us and asking questions about the products. They were just amazed at what we showed them. That is because they have never seen anything like these bags before. Everything we do are very big attention magnets.â€
That’s a very positive sign; an indication that Gabriel and Kay Roy have created something that resonates strongly with people who recognize a unique sense of craftsmanship. The enthusiastic response to Vayaro is the first step in what the partners see as an exciting new opportunity and they eventually have plans to open their own retail stores to include Vayaro leather art and guitar cases, paintings and photography. “We have a very strong idea what we would like to do, and even have a three-dimensional visual model of what our retail store would look like. We hope to eventually find investors who would like to share in our vision,†Gabriel says.
Adding to this, in my opinion, as an investment banker-journalist, seeing the reception Vayaro is generating, I think either an investors will not be needed, or any lucky exception will make a fortune on their bet however sleek it may seem today due to the high risk in fashion.
The products are now moving into the American consciousness, bold artistic creations created through the heart and soul of two visionaries from Hungary. They are expected to be available wherever fine leather art is appreciated, at the finest luxury shops around the country, in use by discriminating musicians, or on the red carpet during entertainment award shows that Atlantic Publicity is in charge of, a renowned company for its great success in all fields of publicity. They are scheduled to appear at the Oscar Awards this year, which obviously will put its stamp on Vayaro.
I met them ( Vayaro) in person: these guys are the future! They depict the future through their craft and their message. It is not only about design, but rather the message of the new millennium. Their pieces carry a clairvoyant truth: we become what we set ourselves firmly in the ground, for as long as we never allow anything or anyone to deviate us. Vayaro is a new reality. Something we have not had before: the permission to soar with the support of science to assure us that it is okay to create, for creation is not only our birth right, but something we are responsible for. Go, do, be whatever your heart dictates, but do it with discipline and you will have Vayaro: in all of its capacity!
“We have put everything we have into these products; our lives, our spirits are in them, Gabriel says. “In that sense these bags are full of attention. They are full of Kay Roy’s attention, full of my attention, full of the attention of the people who create these works of art. They are full of our energies. What we give our customers is a part of our lives. We like to think they are a bridge between the visible and the invisible world of imagination.†And, this very principle is the bridge to the new century! What Vayaro has to say is who we really are!
