Missibaba Love

Well hey there! As some of you know from Instagram and Twitter, I was in Africa for the better part of February and now I'm back in the USA! My trip was amazing and I can't wait to tell you all about it. Unfortunately, the obscene quantity of photos we took is still being culled through and edited. So I can't dish too much yet, however, I did want to offer up pics of one of my favorite Cape Town shops as a teaser.

The boutique is called Missibaba and it's full of inventive, handmade leather goodies. The store is on Bree Street and the entire design aesthetic is super cool...I'd say it's a combo of funky/edgy + spunky and laid-back. Here's a shot of the exterior, which is painted with a gorgeous shade of super dark navy (kinda like Prada's signature color). I had a feeling I'd like whatever was inside just based on the outside...




Missibaba's creations are dreamed up by "leather aficionado" Chloe Townsend, who paints and draws  patterns for leathers and fabrics that are straight-up fabulous (you know I die for a bold, fresh print). Her design direction also involves lots of detailing like patterned contrast stitching and hand-cut leather appliqués in addition to tons of super-saturated colors, which are often juxtaposed against natural leather tones. Here are some of my favorite pieces...

Loved their neon grosgrain ribbons...

Image via Missibaba

I love a brand that perfectly executes every detail...as an example, Missibaba's bags were adorned with a few of their killer signature prints....

When I go back, I'm buying some of the huge printed canvas totes, which are called Brazzaville Beach Bags...

Here's my travel buddy, Cassandra, shoppin' it up...

I bought the Jungle Flapper 1 and LOVE it. The hot coral color is a long-time favorite of mine and I'm COMPLETELY obsessed with the serpent printed leather (I want an ottoman made out of it so badly)...

Here it is in action...while wearing it, I happened to be next to some pretty flowers of the same color :)

If you're loving this label as much as I am, you can shop Missibaba directly on their site and also on Etsy. After seeing them in person, it's hard to articulate how cool their goods are. Each piece makes its own unique style statement...and I'd say that all look handmade and special, and that's hard to come by these days!