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Last week, Eva Longoria turned heads when she stepped out carrying a one-of-a-kind tote emblazoned with a beautiful painting of her baby son Santiago. It turns out the cool creation was a custom-made piece by British artist, Boyarde Messenger. The fab bag features Eva lovingly looking at her son, a portrait that was modeled after the mother-baby pair's recent cover photo for HOLA! USA. While the personalized accessory is really very sweet, the story behind the making of the purse is even sweeter.
Designed by British artist Boyarde Messenger, Eva Longoria's bespoke purse, which she "loves so much", took over 100 hours to paint by hand
Painted in Boyarde's London's studio, Eva's own bag – which the actress "loves so much", a representative for the artist told HOLA! USA – was commissioned by someone close to her, Dubai business tycoon Sima Ved, we can reveal.
Boyarde told us when making the luxe bag that she wanted to make sure she was getting the "energy and essence" of her special subjects across, and this photo's essence is all about the mother and baby bond. "The composition is really important, particularly when painting a mother and son, the key is capturing the special joy in that moment," she said. "The loving connection between Eva and Santiago is undeniable in this image, supported by the beautiful quote painted in the heart: 'Eres mi vida' which translates to 'You are my life.'"
MORE: Current mood: Eva Longoria making a purse out of her HOLA! USA cover
A behind-the-scenes shot of the tote in progress. "The loving connection between Eva and Santiago is undeniable in this image," Boyarde told HOLA! USA. Photo: Courtesy of Boyarde/@boyarde.
There were several painstaking steps required to make this masterpiece for Eva over the course of 100 hours. "We started by sketching the portrait," the artist told us. "The eyes are always the most important feature to get right!" Afterwards, comes what Boyarde is truly known for—the Pop Art look. "Once the sketch was approved, the painting was completed in meticulous stages, in my signature style, blending comic and realism, with my signature black lines which makes the artwork Pop."
The London-based artist is known for handpainting customized pop art portraits onto luxury handbags. Photos: Hand painted by Boyarde/@boyarde
British artist extraordinaire Boyarde is known for "redefining luxury through creativity and craftsmanship." And what exactly does that entail? Turning the world's greatest icons into art, specifically art on ultra-luxe purses (think Audrey Hepburn sketched on a Louis Vuitton or Queen Elizabeth painted on the latest Hermès). Even Barack Obama has made his way onto a purse or two! Besides the Desperate Housewives alum, Boyarde has had several A-listers come to her, like Rihanna and Cara Delevingne! If you, too, are interested, head here to check out more of her work.