About Us
YoshiZen is a transformative fashion and lifestyle brand created by husband and wife team, Yoshi & Gilles Bonugli. While our roots are in festival fashion, our creations are about far more than just turning heads on the dancefloor. Festivals are modern-day portals — glimpses into what life could be if we lived with intention, expressed ourselves without fear, and let joy lead the way. In these transformative spaces where creativity reigns, we tap into flow state. We remember what it feels like to be radiantly alive. To witness synchronicity. To connect, to play, and to heal. Our designs are more than just fashion — they're an extension of our mission: to help you embody your power, creativity, and future self.
Yoshi
Ever since I was a child, I've been addicted to the dopamine rush of achievement. Of making to-do lists and ticking off boxes as I accomplished my goals. I think this pursuit of pleasure via achievement is why I've been able to do so many seemingly impossible things. As an undocumented immigrant living in the NYC housing projects, I was awarded a $55,000/year full-scholarship to Claremont McKenna College via Questbridge, which matched high achieving low income students with top American colleges. It was the first and only college application I ever submitted. Since I didn't have a Social Security number, I wasn't eligible for federal or state financial aid. I don't know who paid for my college education, but I'm forever grateful. In September 2007, at 17 years old, I excitedly began my next life chapter, 3,000 miles away from home. My journey of finding my identity and transformation had just begun.
Gilles
I was born in France and grew up in Marseille. I began photography in 1998 and then also delved into the other fields of digital visual arts. I am a self-taught artist who took advantage of our digital era where you can learn almost anything you want online if you are consistent with tutorials. I worked with different big name brands in the sport industry over 10 years producing digital content for their advertising campaigns — pictures, films, and graphic design. I also had several solo and non-solo photography exhibitions in Marseille, Paris, Nantes, and NYC on various themes like Burning Man or people of Bangladesh. My motto is 'Diversity makes sense' — that is also why I don't stick to only one photography style or even one artistic discipline. I love to take a picture as much as to edit a video or design a laser-cut wearable piece. Nowadays my main goal in life is to help my wife grow our brand. I will put all the techniques and everything I've learnt in the past years to achieve this goal.
The Studio
Every Yoshi Zen piece is born in our studio in Bali, Indonesia — a small creative space where Yoshi works alongside two talented seamstresses. Each garment passes through her hands before it reaches yours. We use a combination of high-quality fabrics — Tencel, polyester silk satin, and sheer polyester satin — with precision laser-cutting techniques to create intricate patterns that would be impossible by hand alone. From custom fabric printing to final stitching, the process is intimate and intentional. We don't mass-produce. We create, one piece at a time.