Meet Roberta Donato | Co-Founder of My Happy Cabaña

We had the good fortune of connecting with Roberta Donato and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roberta, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We wanted to create a lifestyle brand that embodies a carefree, fun and timeless feel. One of a kind treasures from around the world and clothes that can transport you to a happy place and bring color and joy into your life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We’d like to think that what sets My Happy Cabaña apart from other clothing brands is our authenticity and core values. We believe that taking a not-so-serious approach to fashion is key, our items transcends trends and seasonalities. Our color pallets, prints and one of a kind found items can bring joy and humor to our customer’s life. We often use the phrase “pop up happiness” in our social media, and that is exactly what we hope to bring, a pop of happiness into the day, whether it is by wearing our humorous lobster earrings, or setting the dinner table with tropical zebra printed place mats. We are so proud of what we’ve built and believe that remaining true to our identity is key to our success!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My business partner, Claudia, often comes to Miami for our meetings, pop up sales and photoshoots. Naturally, when she’s here I like to show her a good time! First stop, Tremble Pilates in Coral Gables to start the day with a little sweat, followed by a green juice & avocado toast at The Bazar Project in Coconut Grove. Lunch at Mandolin Aegean Bistro in the Design District, followed by a visit to Mrs. Mandolin, one of my favorite stores in Miami and a little stroll to ICA or the De La Cruz Foundation to see some art. Bill Baggs State Park Beach in Key Biscayne for a dip in the ocean and happy hour at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, you can’t beat that view and old school Grove vibe! For a low key dinner, either Locali for brick-oven pizza or Bombay Darbar for delicious authentic Indian food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My business partner moved to Panama with her family and was introduced to the Guna Indigenous people of Panama and Colombia. They are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Guna women’s national dress, which is worn daily by many Guna women. Naturally, we fell in love with the craftwork and fabrics and from there, our first dress was created using the Guna textiles, which are often prints of fruits and animals.

Website: www.myhappycabana.com
Instagram: @myhappycabana
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberta-donato-4b347911/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappycabana/

Image Credits
Lea Grandvalet Studer @imagemephotography Nina Fiaschi @ninafiaschi Maria Jose Flores @majoflo96 Sandra Freidman @frenchy_yoga_shack, @fonteyne_art_photos