five8ths has a
new home! We will soon be moving into a new combined retail and
workshop space in Johannesburg, South Africa!
My husband,
Ben, started a new job here, so we will be living most of the year in
what is affectionately known as “Jozi”. We have lived in
Johannesburg on and off for the past ten years, so it is a place
where I feel very much at home. From the climate, that is so similar
to Colorado (where I grew up), to the group of friends who we've now
known and grown close to over the past ten years, to the lifestyle
that calms me down. Not to mention the high style-IQ on the streets.
Jozi is a special place, and we are excited to be here. It was here
in Johannesburg, during a previous stint, where I began to make
custom and handmade clothing, spending my time learning and doing
what I love while my husband has conducted research over the years.
My
goal has always been to have a workshop space combined with retail,
so that customers can see where and how five8ths
clothing is made, and so that I can interact with clients
in the context of the studio.
I will be
setting up shop at Maverick corner, a
newly developed area of the Maboneng precinct,
on the corner of Commissioner and
Albrecht. five8ths will be next door
to a women's/children's bespoke and handmade clothing boutique on one
side, and an Ethiopian restaurant on the other side. Across the
courtyard, there is a bespoke bicycle shop with adjacent workshop
that will be open to the public for DIY
bicycle maintenance. Maverick
corner will also be home to a bar, a
burger joint, a food-truck that sells sweets, and an African fabric
emporium! Across the street, developments
are near completion for the “Artisan
Lofts” apartments, and within the next year, MOAD (Museum of
African Design) will move in along side
a restaurant/B&B/cigar bar. Right now, our
space is in its
final stages of renovation, and we will start moving in later in
September. More details to come as
the design of the space takes shape!
In addition to
the shop
in Johannesburg, five8ths will continue to operate as
an online boutique, and carry stock in the US.
US customers can still order online, and in-stock items will be
shipped from there. New custom orders will be shipped mostly from
South Africa, unless I am in the US at the time, but shipping prices
will not change.
Looking
forward to seeing both new and familiar faces in the shop and online!
A map of the Maboneng Precinct is below. five8ths will be located at Maverick Corner (#8).
