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This is a family business run by Kirsten, her husband John James and their son Kenny who is director of marketing. They are not new to the business, they were on 3rd Street in Naples for 27 years, moved to Waterside Shops for 15 years and now opened their spacious boutique and cafe in Bonita Springs.

Kirsten spent a great deal of time with me showing all her fabulous designs. She is a very talented designer and artist. She designs most of the originals in her shop. She makes the patterns and sends them to L.A. where they are made into the wonderful clothing found here in fabric woven in Morocco and some woven in Africa. The fabric is dyed in California to her specifications and made from her patterns then shipped to her store in Bonita Springs. She has a vivid imagination and comes up with fabulous designs. She leans toward basic, dramatic, simplicity. Her styles are achieved effortlessly in classics that are beautifully tailored that will never go out of style. She concentrates on neutrals, soft beiges, whites, blacks, browns and light grays. You can mix and match just about every piece found here. Kirsten said if you buy the basic black, soft flowing skirt you can top it with anything and have many different outfits. For extra punch there are some zebra and leopard prints to mix in. There are many options, the pumpkin color dress at $198. with a black fringed poncho $225....dynamite! I loved the light gray with the gray and white stripe tops, scarves and many other pieces to mix and match. The eggplant was luscious and goes beautifully with the ivory. Kirsten had on an unusual poncho the day I was in, it had arm holes and a fringed front but draped across the back. It was in rich rusts and camel but also comes in a green combination. To make a statement you must see the black gracefully flared skirt, short top and vest that had a touch of camel tye die at the bottom of each. Outstanding! Skirt $158. top $128. and vest $128. I also fell in love with her collection of white especially the pants, top and long duster coat to go over.The spiral knit skirts were unusual in black, light gray, brown or beige. They also came in a combination of black/white and gray/white. These are all light weight fabrics and perfect for out climate, such as Baltic and Soudsi cotton. Very wearable. Many pieces are cut on the bias so very feminine and flowing. There are scarves and cowls that you can top off your outfit. Most are basic allowing you to create your own look.

To do that Kirsten has a huge collection of interesting accessories. There are cases of one of a kind jewelry from artists that she hand picks from Santa Fe,Tibet and Mexico to name a few. Also find handcrafted jewelry, antique and vintage jewelry. There are some great hats and one of a kind, hand crafted belts, some with lots of fringe. No one else has these. I found crochet ponchos that reverse to another color at $125. Beautiful linens hand dyed in Canada, top $200. skirt $158. long duster $475. and cowl $95 in black with rust. The bottom is a piece of art! You have to see these creations! It goes on, beautiful linen shawls, suede's from Turkey, leather jackets and bags. Light weight jackets in many choices.

Besides all the marvelous clothing there is a section of collectable art. African art, wedding baskets, masks and woven pieces from many tribes.

Not to miss the large scale wall tapestries by Naples artist Bonny Hawley. They are a large wall solutions for private and corporate clients. They can be built to any size. She uses mixed media collage and involves monoprinting, stenciling, metallic paints, gold and silver and hand painted papers on Raw Silk and Linen. It rolls for easy shipping and it truly a work of art!

The 7000 square feet houses not only this unique boutique but an awesome new restaurant called Cafe Casablanca that is part of the store. Weather a quick cup of Joe or a gourmet lunch including Caviar sold by the ounce you will enjoy this special place. It has an out door court yard with water features and fire pits. If you belong to a women's club they will do a gourmet luncheon and fashion show right here for your group! They can accommodate 60 people. How much fun is that!!

This is a boutique not to be missed. You can spend hours in here looking at the many wonderful creations!

Kirsten's Boutique and Cafe Casablanca is located at 27160 Bay Landing Drive in Bonita Springs at U.S. 41 and Terry St. in the building with Mahalo Spa. Phone: 598-3233. Hours, Boutique: Mon.-Fri. 9-7 Sat. 9-6 and 10-4 on Sun.

Cafe: Mon-Fri. 8-7, Sat. 8-6 and 10-4 on Sun. Enjoy! I did!!