For the month of June, Merchants on Long offers a curated selection of contemporary African fashion and design at a pop-up store in Keyes Art Mile, Rosebank.
Located at the Okapi flagship store, the Merchants on Long pop-up offers Johannesburg clients the opportunity to shop a beautiful selection of African fashion and design, from across the continent.
Maki Oh, Emilia D, Eki Kere, Banke Kuku, Dye Lab and Sidai Designs are some of the exclusive fashion and jewellery labels on offer. Homeware includes ZenZulu and Bros on the Road — plus, there’s even an offering for kids; tiny togs from Big Little Store and Good Good Good.
Founded in 2020 with the express goal to give a platform to local talents, Merchants on Long has grown over the years to represent a wide selection of designers from across the African continent, wishing to connect with a worldwide, fashion-savvy audience.
Beyond the original Long Street store (which recently underwent a soft revamp), there is a shop in the V&A Waterfront. Over the years there have been pop-ups in Paris and London, and most recently, a pop-up boutique in the Burlington Arcade, London. As well as a full e-commerce offering.
Many of South Africa’s great designers have been nurtured through brand growth by Merchants and currently the offering includes Lukhanyo Mdingi, Sindiso Khumalo and Viviers studio. A beautiful selection of Lukhanyo, and Viviers studio will be on the rails at the Joburg pop-up.
The homeware offering includes beaded lights from Ananta, the Cape Town-based design studio founded by two sisters during the Covid 2020 lockdown. Inspired by the local crafts found on the street corners of Cape Town, this brand celebrates this community and the founders’ Indian and South African heritage; resulting in creative pieces full of colour, and joy.
“Merchants on Long has a fantastic online store that delivers countrywide,” explains Jeanine Benjamin, Merchants on Long CEO, “but we know that being able to engage with the clothes, physically feeling and seeing the pieces, is the best way to appreciate the quality of craftsmanship and textile choice.
“We want to be able to bring showcase these designers, while supporting and celebrating African craftsmanship,” she adds.
The pop-up opens on Saturday June 10th and runs until June 30th.
