Brand Philosophy

Misala Handmade Creations"To explore the many possibilities of kisslock purse frames" is the main idea behind Misala's lovely creations. The metal closure mechanism has been in use by bag and purse makers for more than 100 years, but few had elected to put their entire focus on it. The fact had prompted Michelle Chan, the owner and designer of Misala, use the classic bag making part as the restricting form and exploratory element for her art.

The Owners

Michelle Chan

Michelle grew up in Hong Kong. Unaware of her artistic self, Michelle moved to Dubai with her husband as an expatriate wife in 2009 with no prior experience in design. With a degree in Electronics, she worked in an Engineering firm after graduation but never felt that she belongs to the profession. Out of frustration in adapting to the life in a foreign country, she went back to her childhood hobby and experimented with some fabrics and purse parts that she carried with her luggage.

Under the encouragement of her husband, Michelle started selling the pieces she made as a hobby on Etsy in 2010. The distinct symbols of her work, with lots of polka dots, vibrant colors and expressive shapes were Misala's foundation of success.


Sanford Poon

Class of 2004 from University of Virginia, Sanford is well traveled and has a global vision. He was a well-paid rail engineer in Dubai. Seeing the potential in Michelle's work, he sets out on a mission to market them to the world. After a surveying trip to Taiwan in early 2013, he had decided to move Misala across the globe and make Taipei his home. He now devote himself full-time to the business, as well as helping the local independent designer and craft markers community to connect them to the broader world.

He is now a member of Cityyeast, a local activist group aiming to change the cityscape of Taipei with better designs.