Reem Acra commissions designer shoes from Coast and Koi

Caryn Wilensky is the gifted designer and owner behind Coast and Koi, an exquisitely eclectic line of bespoke designer shoes. Representing the highest standards of handcrafted excellence.

Designer Shoes by Coast and Koi, Reem Acra collaboration

Coast and Koi collab with Reem Acra - featured in Vogue.

Coast and Koi strikes the perfect balance between sophisticated luxe and comfort. Blending African and Oriental influences, Caryn’s timeless creations are unlike anything in the market today.

So unique are Caryn’s creations that they caught the eye of Raquel Medina-Cleghorn, while sourcing for acclaimed New York stylist Bill Mullen.

As Raquel tells it, ‘finding Coast & Koi on the internet that day was like a miracle. I had no idea how I was going to realize his instructions for "ornate Moroccan or orientalist slippers" and suddenly after hours of Googling, your website appeared’.

Designer Shoes by Coast and Koi, Reem Acra collaboration

Coast and Koi collab with Reem Acra - featured in Vogue.

Thanks to this connection, Caryn’s footwear graced the cover of Ideat magazine’s May/June 2017 edition, which featured a 9-page spread, shot in Paris by acclaimed photographer Bettina Rheims and magnificently styled by Bill Mullen of Bill Mulleninc.

But Caryn’s relationship with the A-list style house would not end there. In November 2016, Bill Mullen recommended Caryn’s shoes to none other than Reem Acra, designer to the stars like Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Beyonce. Acra most recently hit the headlines as the designer for Melania Trump’s inauguration gown.

Knowing Acra’s penchant for ultimate luxe, Caryn set about further customising the shoes to complement Acra’s hand-beaded gowns. Caryn went so far as to create a custom label marking the Reem Acra/Coast and Koi collab.

Coast and Koi Designer Shoe collaboration with Reem Acra.

Coast and Koi collab with Reem Acra - featured in Vogue.

Going above and beyond brief, Caryn submitted a number of options to choose from. Raquel again: ‘The shoes are all gorgeous… It was so hard to choose which to keep and which to return, like picking which of your children you love the best’.

Vogue and Glamour Feature

Reem Acra has even been posting to Instagram pics of herself wearing Coast and Koi shoes, and their collaboration has been featured in both Vogue and Glamour.

A longtime fan of Acra’s gowns, Caryn says “I always knew we shared the same taste; but to be approached by one of your role models, there can be no higher honour.”

Orders from Coast and Koi are available, please contact us .