Designs Gallery

Sustainable activewear for women. Recycled fabric with original designs by artist Monique Baques
“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.”
 
- Wassily Kandinsky

The Stories Behind the Designs

(click on each name to view related products)

Each of our designs is uniquely created by Brisbane-based Artist, Monique Baqués and produced in limited editions. Keep scrolling to find out what inspired each print.
Art2Go Barcelona original design by Monique Baques

Barcelona

I created this design as a tribute to the captivating essence of Joan Miró, in particular two of his most iconic pieces. Miró’s masterful utilization of colour in “Blue” and the playfulness of stars, lines and dots in “The Singing Fish” deeply resonated with me. Drawing inspiration from his Spanish roots, my design seeks to capture the spirit of his unique artistic vision. Miró’s ability to transform simplicity into extraordinary creations has been a guiding light in my design process, reminding me that even the most straightforward forms and colours can give rise to truly distinctive and remarkable works of art.

Detail of Festive design by Monique Baques printed on recycled fabric made from discarded single use plastic bottles

Festive

One of my favourite artists, who explored the use of shape and colour in new ways is Marc Chagall. In creating Festive, I had his famous painting “Paris through the Window” in mind. The way he interpreted the light reflecting on the glass and frame, with primary colours in geometric shapes look beautiful, and enhance a typical Parisian background with a parachuting man next to the Eiffel tower. It was created in 1913, just a year after the first successful jump was ever made, so I guess he was impressed by the feat. Looking into my own career, I have also focused on shape and colour very often, especially in my abstract series of oil paintings between 2018-2021 which were first shown at the Brisbane City Library in Nov-2020. 

Detail of Imagine design by Monique Baques printed on recycled fabric from discarded plastic bottles

Imagine

“Colour is the place where our brain and the universe meet.” - Paul Klee.

I created this design while experimenting with small brushstrokes of pastel colours in various textures and opacities. It was quite spontaneous and I found satisfaction in observing the influence of transparencies of different colours over others. The strokes were random but short, and the result… unexpected. Pondering on my creation, I imagined being outdoors, observing the effect of the morning light on a rippled surface of water. 

Detail of Paloma design by Monique Baques printed on recycled fabric from discarded plastic bottles

Paloma

The name means “Dove” in Spanish, my native language. It also symbolises peace when drawn with an olive branch in its beak. My design contains both the dove and the branch, but in a different arrangement; I have added a woman’s hand extending out to the olive branch with the dove flying by instead. I was inspired by the global events of early 2022, and the important role women play in bringing peace to society. The style and design of the dove is a tribute to one of the greatest XX century artists, who employed these symbols frequently in his paintings. See if you can guess who it is… Hint: his daughter is also named after the dove. 🕊️

 

Detail of Spark design by Monique Baques printed on recycled fabric made from discarded plastic bottles

Spark

Having lived over 10 years in Queensland and having grown my interest in Australian aboriginal art over time, I was naturally influenced by the use of certain shapes in my abstract creations. Understanding the long-standing meaning behind these shapes made all the difference and helped me appreciate this rich culture so much more. Spark is a tribute to that influence. It is my own conception with a few of the elements and shapes that intersect with my usual topics of inspiration, widely used throughout my career: women and home. It makes a beautiful, colourful and energizing garment to wear.

 

Olympia original pattern

 Olympia

Manet’s Olympia represented a departure from popular, accepted styles of figure painting in favour of something unique and daring. He was widely criticised for it, but nevertheless, he continued to work and paint and eventually became one of the most famous artists in history. Manet’s ground-breaking depiction of this bold, self-assured, hater-proof woman inspired me to be brave and confident in my own work, and to have a little fun with it. I designed this pattern to inspire you to have some fun, love yourself and do your thing today - whatever it may be.

 

lilac freedom unique pattern

Lilac Freedom

The female figure has been used in art to express ideas, emotions and desires for centuries; as visual communication devices like colour or tone. The effect has often been a one-dimensional and unrelatable representation of women. One day when I was reflecting on this, I realised that I wanted to add a new perspective. I created this design with every woman in mind; to honour the richness and complexity of women’s feelings, emotions and experiences. Lilac Freedom tells a story of a spiritual journey that many women have experienced before: a transformation from feeling unseen and unheard to being free, confident and powerful in her own skin.

 

Women’s activewear, made sustainably, doodlz design by Monique Baques

 Doodlz

Inspired by the vibrancy and excitement of street art and my love for doodling as a young girl, DOODLZ invites you to MOVE your body baby! Like street art, to see it is to be inspired and energised by the possibilities of every day. To wear it is to take those possibilities and make them yours. How will you move your body today? Will you lose yourself to dance? Will you centre yourself through stretching, or strengthen your body in Pilates? Will you jump, run, flex, swim? With a little inspiration - and extremely comfy clothes - the world is your oyster. Find the activity that brings you joy and go, go, go!

 

venus original printed design

Venus

Sandro Botticelli’s classical painting, The birth of Venus, depicts the Greek goddess emerging from the shore after her birth, fully grown and glorious to behold. She represents new hope for civilisation: a social, political and cultural shift into a prosperous new era. Venus became the inspiration for my first pattern for my new passion project: Art2Go activewear. I decided to create a pattern full of joy and celebration to represent our emergence from Covid uncertainty into a bold new adventure. Born during the pandemic with the simple intent of reminding us to hope for the future and celebrate life in the present.

 

unique pattern on sustainable leggings - brushstrokes

Brushstrokes

Brushstrokes is a spontaneous and expressive design. I created it out of an impulse, choosing some of my favourite colours without thinking it twice. After a few strokes it was done! and the result was fresh and delightful. It came out of a need to add more colour to my life, a feeling of creating my own destiny. Brushstrokes is informal, emotive and fun!

 

coral print on sustainable fabric - legging

Coral

My sister Michele is a physical oceanographer, and of course she loves the ocean. For years she shared with me her passion for the sea and its creatures. Her worries about the extinction of the Great Barrier Coral Reef has had a huge impact on me. This pattern represents a black and white picture of a coral reef, as a reminder of the importance of protecting the world’s biodiversity.
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Rainbow

Every time I witness a rainbow I feel very privileged, like being a part of a magical, special moment. I created this design to share this experience with you, the sense of freedom, of being full of life and energised with such natural beauty. I would love you to sense a bit of this magic yourselves too!

 

the kiss inspired pattern printed on sustainable fabric - leggings

The Kiss

When I was young and studying Fine Art at Uni, I came across a photo of a magnificent sculpture by Romanian artist Constantin Brancusi. Carved out of limestone, and called the kiss, it depicts 2 intertwined figures hugging and kissing. 
Years later, when I was living in France, I visited the Montparnasse Cemetery and witnessed one of the several versions of The Kiss. I liked it even more. This version is placed on Tatiana’s Rachewskaïa ‘s tomb, a Russian girl who fell deeply in love and committed suicide at a very young age in 1910. Her lover, a Romanian doctor named Solomon Marbais, was a friend of Brancusi’s and purchased the sculpture directly from the artist to place on Rachewskaïa’s grave.
Why I keep finding it so fascinating? I guess because of the simplicity of the piece, its primitive form and the geometrical approach. How can such a simple piece of art, be able to express a powerful feeling of union and love? Love is all we need, and we sadly tend to forget it easily. So I thought, what a great idea to design my own version of the kiss to remind us daily when we exercise, a pure and powerful emotion of love. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Geometric pattern printed on sustainable fabric - leggings

Geo

Over time, I came to realize that life is simpler than we sometimes believe it to be… Geo is a design made with a handful of shapes, a sphere, a square, rectangles… and what makes them stand out is simply their colour and relative arrangement.
In life, we don’t need much, just the ability to combine and arrange what we possess to make of it an extraordinary experience!


zLove - unique design on sustainable fabric - leggings

Oda In Love

This pattern is based on a painting called Une Odalisque or La Grand Odalisque from 1814 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. The painting was exhibited in 1819 at the Grand Salon in Paris. This woman is depicted with a strong eroticism and seduction. I decided to create my own version with a slightly playful attitude. She is wearing a pattern that has the words love and amor (love in Spanish), with love hearts everywhere. The main colour is green with bits of pink, black and white. Green is generally associated with the concept of hope. So again, my desire is to spread love to the world with my activewear.

 

flow unique pattern on sustainable fabric

Flow

Flow is inspired by the need to be outdoors, the yearn for adventure and pushing boundaries. The day that I created this design, I was feeling strong, full of energy and ready to take on any battle or challenge that I came across. Feeling powerful!

 

Killer design detail printed on sustainable fabric - leggings

Killer

Everyone knows that Australia hosts the most poisonous and dangerous animals on Earth! When I arrived to Brisbane in 2012, my kids used to sing along “Come to Australia” by Scared Weird Little Guys. The song was so catchy and the subject so worrying that it inspired this design! Killer is all about Straya and its most infamous and dangerous animals. Buy your activewear in this design and see if you can find them all. Hint: the lyrics of the song may help you out.

 

Beauties design detail printed on sustainable fabric - leggings

Beauties

With this design I wanted to start a conversation about the concept of female beauty, and its representation by artists throughout history. What the cave painter thought was a beautiful woman, differs from what artists in the renaissance period or in the modern era believe it to be. For this pattern, I created my own interpretation of 10 famous art pieces that depict beautiful women at multiple times in history. Can you find out who they are and who was the original artist of each?

Wear the Beauties design and add your own beauty to the list! 

 

Bésame design detail printed on sustainable fabric - leggings

Bésame

Bésame is all about expressing yourself with your LIPS!  They are so powerful! They can express desire, boredom, intrigue, content, but most importantly, they can kiss! There are many kinds of kisses, (intimate, motherly, friendly, formal…) and they vary greatly with people’s cultural backgrounds. In France for example people kiss each other 3 times on the cheeks when greeting, even if meeting informally for the first time. In Argentina, where I come from, only one on the right cheek is enough, but it’s extremely common and not gender specific. After a year of lockdowns and wearing face masks in Brisbane, I was inspired to draw lips in multiple shapes and moods, and here’s the result!

 

Alive! design detail printed on sustainable fabric - leggings

Alive!

My experience living in SE Asia and travelling throughout the region enriched and influenced my art. In particular, Japanese designs became very important in my career. Their art is amazing! During one of my visits to this wonderful country, I bought a book of Tenugui designs, where I found a dark blue and yellow pattern called “Dance Macabre” (also known as Dance of the Dead). It fuelled my imagination and I created my own interpretation, in full colour of course! I drew smiling, dancing little skeletons, then scattered a few skulls in between and… voilá! It’s meant as a celebration of life, reminding us of its fragility and to make sure we enjoy it to the fullest while we’re still here!