The past year, we’ve stayed home more than ever. Working, living, and sleeping all in the same space has opened our eyes to the importance of taking care of our immediate environment. But a pretty home shouldn’t break the bank. Heather Moore’s fabrics and home goods are a great example of how even the smallest of changes can light up a room.
The illustrator and designer behind the South African label Skinny laMinx (named after her Siamese cat), Moore’s recipe is simple: mix together a love of pattern, a cute shop, a top-notch team, and top it all off with equal parts playful and chic: “Pattern makes us happy, color makes us feel good!”, reads her Instagram bio, and boy do we agree.
Moore’s blooming business began relatively small. After 10 years of freelancing, she opened a blog and an Etsy shop in 2007, where she sold her simple, clear screen printed tea towels and hand-cut fridge magnets. By 2009 the business was so busy with retail and wholesale orders that she quit her comics-writing job.
These days, her brand includes a store and studio in Cape Town, where Moore employs a team of 15 women. Her product range has also grown over the years and now includes anything from pillows to furniture, becoming a beloved lifestyle brand both home and abroad.
Ever the creative, when it comes to inspiration, Moore admits she finds plenty of it: “It’s kind of silly to say this, but I really am inspired by just about anything and everything!”, she admitted once in an interview with Sweet Paul Magazine.
She noted that she’s inspired by things such as the holes in a piece of cheese, her dreams and desires while flipping through an IKEA catalog, ancient rock art on cave walls, and the dishes on her shelves at home.
All of Skinny laMinx’s designs are screen printed in Cape Town (with an added dose of African chic), and everything is cut and stitched by a small sewing team in the studio above our shop, making her products both ethical and local. “In general, I like design that is concise and fits its purpose,” says Moore. “If it manages to do these things while being elegantly exuberant too, that makes me happy.”
Add a dose of happiness to your home!
