Today we’d like to introduce you to Otelia Vergez
Hi Otelia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into the world of design wasn’t the obvious choice. About 25 some years ago I was preparing for my music conservatory auditions, since I grew up learning to play various instruments and come from a very musical family. The natural progression was to follow a career path either in music performance or education but a conversation with my flute professor changed my whole thought process. He casually said during a lesson that I need to start increasing my practice time because soon enough it would be 12 hour days rehearsing and I felt like the world stopped. There was NO WAY I could do that. I knew I needed to find a career path where I could immerse myself for that long and be excited to do it day after day. The answer? Drawing. Two weeks later, I applied to art school, much to the shock of my immigrant parents who had invested in years of lessons. As immigrants I know that their dream for us kids was to give us everything they didn’t get a chance to have, so they supported me and 5 years later I had a BFA in Interior Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art, was dating my future husband and had a job offer in Los Angeles.
My strong foundation in the Fine Arts/Craft & Design from The CIA set the stage for an incredible creative journey—one that took me to Los Angeles then Miami designing for some of the most exciting projects & brands around the world specializing in retail environments. While working at different firms & studios had its merits, with a growing family I knew the only way to continue in my career was to jump into entrepreneurship. In 2012, my husband and I founded Vergez, Inc., specializing in arts-based branded environments, custom murals, and immersive experiences. My work has now seen 4/7 continents across multiple industries—architecture, fine art, retail design, branding, experiential marketing, and even film. Every project always comes from following a core belief: spaces tell stories, and awe, wonder & beauty can be medicine for the soul.
Having our own business has given us so much freedom in being able to fully mesh our backgrounds in art & design and have the flexibility to work from wherever, whenever. In 2021, we made our third cross-country move back to Cleveland. This time with our 6 kids and the very dumb but brilliantly exciting and rewarding task of restoring a 19th-century Victorian home we bought sight-unseen in the same neighborhood my parents first lived in when they came to the States. It’s a beautiful full circle evolution that brings me back to my roots and keeps all my creative energy flowing.
My days now consist of homeschooling the kids, slowly working down the never ending to-do list on our home renovation and designing late into the evenings for incredible clients like LaCroix, Taco Bell, and Grammy Award winning artists Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran & Harry Styles.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Over the years, I’ve witnessed our industry change so much. The goal was always the same, to create aesthetically beautiful & functional spaces, but our processes have gone through many changes — I had to figure out how to adapt. At one of my first design internships back in 2004, we were still hand-drawing and if revisions were needed, we literally cut out pieces of renderings, and pasted in updates. Pinterest didn’t exist, YouTube & Facebook had just barely started. I never was huge on the technical side of our business (construction documents, AutoCAD) so I really pushed to always stay on the front end focusing on concept work (drawing!). But as our industry shifted to more and more digital, our timelines got shorter and shorter because we can and were expected to deliver projects faster essentially squeezing out pre-concept/concept phases. At that point I knew I had to pivot away from the traditional architecture world because the part I loved just wasn’t valued anymore. I spent some time dabbling across different creative industries and honing in my digital design skills—until I found my true niche: experiential marketing. At this time our family was growing (bringing challenges in and of itself!) and social media was growing even faster. Brick & mortar store were on the decline, malls were dying and brands wanted to get their name out in unique ways. The “IG moment” became everything — bold, artistic spaces that people didn’t just walk through, but engaged with and shared with their friends/followers. While designing these moments was a natural evolution from my work in retail design, I had to really up my graphic skills, and learn a lot about fabrication/build outs for events. It was a whole different world compared to architecture where we had years of planning before breaking ground. In experiential marketing, we have several weeks for designing/planning logistic and just days or even hours for installs and tear downs. These timelines are forever a struggle, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to see finished work so quickly after putting pen to paper. These past 20 some years weren’t easy, but every twist in the road taught me to trust my instincts, embrace change, and never lose sight of my original love for creating compelling visuals whether on paper or Photoshop and storytelling through design.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Vergez, Inc., we don’t just design spaces—we craft immersive experiences that tell a story, spark emotion, and leave lasting impressions.
We specialize in branded environments, custom murals, experiential marketing, and public art installations, working with some of the world’s most visionary brands, artists, and cultural spaces. Our work is a fusion of art, strategy, and design, translating narratives into bold, visually striking experiences that engage audiences in a way that feels both personal and unforgettable.
A few recent clients include LaCroix, Taco Bell, Tate Mcrae, Pleasing, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran & Billie Eilish, We thrive on collaborating with brands that want to make an impact—whether through large-scale murals, sculptural installations, or fully immersive branded spaces.
What Sets Us Apart?
We believe in the power of storytelling through design. Our approach isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating awe, wonder, and emotional connection in every space we touch.
What makes us different?
We are both artists and designers. We understand the fine art side of what makes something visually compelling, but we also bring a strategic mindset that ensures our work connects with audiences in meaningful ways. We also can’t help but embrace the unconventional. Our projects often remix pop culture, history, and surrealist elements to create something that feels fresh, engaging, and visually unforgettable.
What Are We Most Proud of?
We’re proud of our ability to take big, bold creative risks and bring ideas to life—from working with global brands to independent creators looking to tell their story through art and design. One of our ongoing moments of pride this year is following along Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft tour designing pop-up shops around the world from Tokyo, CDMX, NYC, LA, Melbourne and few more cities to come! We also are currently working on a project near and dear to us in the City of Cleveland with BlackBrain Group, Ariel’s team of artists who were awarded a grant through the Transformative Arts Fund. Being able to be apart of the story, guiding up and coming artists through their own journeys is a dream becoming reality.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’d like to say thank you to my flute professor who scared me straight. I am forever grateful to my parents, who even though they were totally confused at first—supported my decision to go from music to art, two very non-traditional routes for immigrant kids (IYKYK). Thank you to LA for your creative heartbeat that crafted me, Miami for the season of rest and realignment to my path. To all the incredible designers, artists, and creatives I’ve met along the way that inspire me in ways I can’t even quantify. My production partners at SLAACK Productions who bring me along on the coolest projects. And of course, my husband and business partner, Ariel Vergez—what started as just the guy who helped me print some plots in the computer lab in school has grown into the visionary, talent, and the powerhouse of storytelling that has been central to our journey. We not only built our family of 8 together but also Vergez, Inc., blending our strengths, and constantly pushing each other to think bigger and always choose fire. Lastly, our clients—from major brands to small business owners—who trusted us to bring their visions to life. Nothing fuels me more than seeing someone step into a space we’ve designed and feel a genuine emotional connection to it. That’s what makes every late night worth it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @oteliacarmen / @vergezinc
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@oteliacarmen
