David BenDavid fuses fashion and innovation with his global brand, Sprayground.
'My goal is to achieve a constantly evolving brand of quality through daily wear and customer and fan feedback... The designs are bold, and once you wear them, they empower the wearer with superhero confidence.’–DAVID BENDAVID
Le Catou blazer, pants and jacket, catouwear.com; Fleur’d Pins brooch, fleurdpins.com; Dr. Martens shoes, drmartens.com; stylist’s own T-shirt. PHOTO BY MIKE RUIZ; STYLED BY ALISON HERNON; HAIR BY DEANNA DOMINIQUE BROWN; MAKEUP BY DMITRY POTAPOV; SET DESIGN BY JASIN CADIC
For David BenDavid, the founder and creator of Sprayground (sprayground.com), what started as a travel bag created out of necessity has since spawned 14 years of innovation revolutionizing the travel industry. More than a traditional backpack, BenDavid’s bags are rooted in quality, function and design.
“I thought that if I launch a particular artistically striking bag in the market, then it needs to come with the heat and function to back it up as a real player in the bag industry,” shares BenDavid. “My goal is to achieve a constantly evolving brand of quality through daily wear and customer and fan feedback. When it comes to design and art, we excel as well. The designs are bold, and once you wear them, they empower the wearer with superhero confidence.”
Used by celebrities including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Kendall Jenner, Megan Thee Stallion, Paris Hilton and more, BenDavid’s designs are fueled by creativity that redefines backpack design.It began with his first design, “Hello My Name Is,” followed by “Money Stacks,” which quickly became a commercial success and favorite among celebrities. While BenDavid says he doesn’t have a favorite, each design represents a different achievement.
Barabas blazer and pants, barabasmen.com; Le Catou vest, catouwear.com; Dr. Martens shoes, drmartens.com. PHOTO BY MIKE RUIZ; STYLED BY ALISON HERNON; HAIR BY DEANNA DOMINIQUE BROWN; MAKEUP BY DMITRY POTAPOV; SET DESIGN BY JASIN CADIC
“Some milestone designs would be wings on a backpack, wings on a tote, LED lighting on a backpack, solar panels and electronic components to make the ultimate bag but also bags that never existed,” he says. “To create the uncreated!”
Growing up in the Bronx, N.Y., BenDavid developed an early passion for art before honing his creativity at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He reflects that while he wasn’t the best student in school, he would always doodle, now translating that skill to his brand.
“School was not my thing, but drawing my imagination was my haven,” he says. “Sprayground is all about storytelling; to me, the best design is about telling a story.”
Drawing inspiration from exploring and people-watching, BenDavid also finds creativity in the serenity of nature.
“I can unleash my mind and visualize ideas that I want to see come to fruition. When you’re tapped in, you’re tapped in,” BenDavid says. “One needs to design in a stress-free environment.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPRAYGROUND
Since the brand’s creation in 2010, Sprayground and BenDavid have teamed up with world-renowned brands such as The Met, NASA, Formula 1, Porsche and even several Hollywood movies, creating unique and exciting limited-edition collections. With BenDavid behind the creative wheel, the company is now a global lifestyle brand offering diverse products, including apparel, swimwear, totes, surfboards and more.
“From bags, I started to apply [my creative] ethos to luggage,” he says. “I even found products in the market that were bland or neglected and reinvented them with excitement. Some iconic pieces include ninja swords, basketball, gamer chairs, boots and electronics.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPRAYGROUND
With a presence in more than 90 countries and the latest collection boasting over 450 new bags, Sprayground is now firmly established within the fashion industry with an upcoming show at Milan Fashion Week.
“I designed and engineered 47 looks with my fashion team in Madrid. I have an amazing and eclectic fashion team that knows that when they work with me, there are no rules,” BenDavid says. “I love to take bags and repurpose them into couture outfits. I designed a runway that looks like a portal that will transport the models from New York to Milan.”
But, the success of the brand was not without challenges.
“I did not have much growing up, and it was nearly impossible to create a thriving brand. I used my influence to help and guide others to bring out their creative ideas and dreams,” BenDavid shares. “To see someone creative like myself use Sprayground’s platform to fly high is the most rewarding blessing.”
While the legacy of Sprayground is still growing, BenDavid shares his ongoing dreams for the brand.
“There is still unfinished business in the bag world,” he says. “I want a museum, a zoo, fun collaborations, and to keep turning the mundane into insane!”
“TO SEE SOMEONE CREATIVE LIKE MYSELF USE SPRAYGROUND’S PLATFORM TO FLY HIGH IS THE MOST REWARDING BLESSING.” –DAVID BENDAVID
Photography by: Photo By: Mike Ruiz; Courtesy of Sprayground
