Coast & Koi was established by Caryn Wilensky, a designer with a flare for stylish, eye-catching footwear. Caryn's keen sense of style is informed by the international fashion scene, but her greatest inspiration comes from Cape Town, where she is based, and the vibrancy of the African people, their culture and textiles.
Her beautiful handmade shoes blend chic design with local influences, including African animal prints and beadwork detail. All Coast & Koi shoes are carefully hand-crafted in a small workshop of just three people, who are responsible for cutting, pasting, sewing and hand lasting each individual shoe. Only high quality fabrics and leather are used. Coast and Koi is about classic elegance, unique design and individual style.
I visited Caryn's 'Aladdin's Cave' of beautiful shoes on my last trip to Cape Town. She is based in Seapoint; a vibrant part of the city set right by the sea. I spent a happy time with Caryn and her assistant Nina trying on some of the styles. It was hard to choose from such an amazing selection of shoe designs and jewel colours, but I decided to focus on ballet flats. I hope you like my selection of these super comfortable and luxurious pumps.