Born in Toronto, Denise moved to Vancouver at age 12 and went on to study Fine Arts in Vancouver and Florence, Italy. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and North America and makes regular trips to Peru to live for a few months at a time. Art, design, travel, language and other cultures have always been a huge part of her life and continue to influence and inspire her work.
In 2003 Patina Designs was launched from a box of reclaimed leather. The playful, buttery soft leather accessories are accented with hand silkscreened images and utilize techniques employed in Denise’s artwork.
Bronsino Designs for Living, a collaboration between Denise and her husband Tito Hinojosa, pays homage to the 16th century Florentine artist Agnolo Bronzino and the Hinojosa family home on calle Bronsino in Lima, Peru. The finely crafted handbags, journals and accessories from the Bronsino collection are classically inspired works of art produced in very limited numbers.
The label “Bronsino Recycled” was introduced for Fall 2006 and focuses exclusively on recycled and reclaimed leathers.
Denise’s work has been featured in Fashion Magazine, the Georgia Straight, Vein Magazine, Real Weddings, Splurge 411 and Shared Vision Magazine. Work is currently available through fine retail shops and at the Portobello West Market.