Baske Opens on Coast Village Road
Saturday, March 30, marked the quiet grand opening of Coast Village Road’s newest retailer: Baske California, a locally-owned boutique that caters to both women and men. Created by husband and wife team Dave Sumares and Nana Baek, Baske – which represents a combination of their respective last names as well as evoking a feeling of warmth, endless weekends, and new experiences – features a carefully curated array of artisan brands as well as the couple’s own line of leather shoes and bags.
“We designed the store to be a place where our customers can come and discover affordable designs that are not available online or in large stores,” Baek said of the small shop, which is located at 1268 Coast Village Road in the space formerly occupied by women’s boutique Leggiadro, which closed earlier this year.
The couple, who have a background in fashion design, have been designing Spanish-made leather shoes and bags for several years under the Baske California label, selling them to larger vendors until opening their own retail concept at the Waterline collective space in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone in November of last year. “It helped us to see that we have a lot of clientele who wear our designs, and come back for more. When this larger space in Montecito became available, we knew it was the perfect backdrop to present even more of our unique and beautiful offerings,” Baek said.
The neutral colored leather-made shoes for women are designed to be stylish, but also timeless and comfortable, the pair explained during a recent visit to the shop. With carefully selected heel heights, supple and soft leather, and high quality hardware, the shoes are meant to last season after season. “And they’re affordable!” Baek said. A men’s shoe line is forthcoming. The brand’s leather bags also offer comfort: they are designed to be much lighter in weight so they can be carried all day with ease.
Current offerings at the store also include items from Acote (France), Love Tanjane (Ojai), Bsbee (Italy), ATF (Los Angeles), All things Bell (Malibu), Vovage et Cie (Los Angeles), All the Must (France), Artesano (Ecuador), and others, as well as men’s lines Jungmaven (WA), Tori Richard (Hawaii), OAS (Sweden), and Studebaker Metals (Pittsburgh). The store offers clothing as well as jewelry, candles, and lots of accessories. “We continue searching for new independent brands that are meaningful, and we’ve booked many more exciting brands for the fall,” Baek said.
“We aren’t chasing fast fashion,” Baek said. “Our style is relevant and current for years to come.”
The new Montecito location is located next to Ambiance in the shopping center that also houses Compass and Los Arroyos, at 1268 Coast Village Road. The hours are weekdays 11 am to 7 pm and weekends 10 am to 7 pm. The small collective space at the Waterline is also still open, located at 120 Santa Barbara Street. For more information, visit www.baskecalifornia.com.
