La Reyna
In 2018, Robert Rodriguez’ El Rey Network partnered with Vice Media’s creative agency, Virtue, to launch a new Latinx agency called La Reyna. When La Reyna reached out to see if I’d be able to help transform their office and prepare for a SXSW event, I was thrilled.
The job was two fold: First, they needed to quickly flip their corporate office space into something more vibrant, creative, and true to their brand – all in time for a kickoff meeting to be attended by Vice/Virtue execs from the US and Latin America. This interior transformation would then serve as the base layer for their first official pop-up event during SXSW, featuring an in depth conversation about Latinx identity with actress Zoe Saldana and journalist Paola Ramos.
The office had too many desks and an existing dark wall with 12” protruding wooden pegs. To lighten the space and create a blank canvas for events, we painted the entire 40’ wall and pegs white to make the pegs disappear. We used the pegs as anchors to create a giant word wall, layering thick black rubber bands to form letters that could be easily switched from peg to peg to spell new words as the needs of the space evolved. The word we chose for the launch event was “Ganas” (enthusiasm), from the speech delivered by Edward James Olmos’ character in the film Stand and Deliver.i>
We scoured the Troublemaker Studios set dressing warehouses and found a vintage steel case desk and chair from the set of The Faculty, and a movie poster from Robert Rodriguez’s collaboration with Nike and Kobe Bryant. As a nod to the film’s narrative, we framed a replica pair of Kobe’s Nike “Black Mamba” sneakers, and hung them taxidermy trophy style above the desk, as the shoes were both prey and prize in the film.
“Ana is a force of nature, she started her career working on films in the art department so she doesn’t just come up with creative ideas she has the unique ability to help her clients visually tell stories. Her aesthetic and style is vibrant and provocative, and at the same time, warm and welcoming.”
THERESA VARGAS WYATT
Chief Growth Officer, La Reyna
After hearing that Robert's 13-year-old daughter was a talented illustrator and artist, we asked her to create a piece of art about what la reyna meant to her. We made an oversized print of her beautiful and sassy painting and hung it in the front window, next to a vintage throne chair, with a rubber band wrapped crown on the seat.