Naples artist turns colorful paintings into fashion

When Jane Vallejo finds inspiration — whether in her garden or while traveling the world — she paints. But her artwork doesn’t stay on canvas; it becomes fashion.

Art Mosaic Fashion is Vallejo’s boutique clothing line. Every piece begins as one of her colorful paintings, which she transforms into patterns for custom-made apparel. Her shop in Naples’ Bayshore Arts District showcases original artwork alongside dresses, accessories and other wearable designs. The business blends several of her lifelong passions into a full-time career she has built over the past decade.

The Naples native grew up in a creative family: Her mother was an artist, her father a musician. She learned to sew from her mother at an early age, and as a young woman showed promise as a country singer. She even turned down opportunities to record in Nashville to pursue her art instead.

For a time, Vallejo worked as a paralegal, an experience she said sharpened the attention to detail she still relies on today. After her mother died in 2016, she reached a turning point in both her life and career. While meditating, the idea for Art Mosaic Fashion came to her.

“I was asking for guidance as to how to take my creativity forward,” she says. “It was my guardian angels, I think. They said, ‘Merge the two passions — art and fashion.’”

She opened her store soon afterward. In addition to selling through her website, Vallejo regularly exhibits at local art fairs, where she has cultivated a loyal following.

She credits much of her success to staying true to her vision. Rather than creating mass-produced products, she focuses on custom designs that reflect her artistic style and resonate with customers.

“I think when you’re young you want to find something that everybody wants, but I think in life you have to find that thing that you really love and see it through,” she says. “Instead of chasing the money, chase the dream. Then people will find you.”