Photo: Araminta de Clermont | WORDS: Rozanne Engel
When Thessa Bos and Chantal Louw created their pop-up store, The Fringe Arts, a year ago, their aim was to showcase the work of designers and artists, but also to make these works more affordable and accessible to customers. Yes, please…
After meeting through a mutual friend, the creative backgrounds and business dreams of Thessa Bos and Chantal Louw sparked a flare that would ignite their pop-up arts company.
Chantal’s art history background was the perfect complement to Thessa’s journalistic training and her experience as commercial and cultural officer of the Netherlands Consulate General in Cape Town.
“Our vision with The Fringe Arts was to give space to artists in South Africa. We wanted to specifically steer away from crafts design, because South Africa is for us more than the ‘Big Five’. There are so many other talented artists and designers, which we wanted to showcase in our store,” says Thessa.
The Fringe Arts is one of very few businesses in this country that are following and successfully running a pop-up store. Their store is currently to be found at the Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch and, from 17 March, will pop up in the Alfred Mall at the V&A Waterfront, where artist Keri Muller will have her first solo exhibition.
According to Chantal, a mobile store made more business sense to them and tied in perfectly with their vision for The Fringe Arts. “You can feel the mobility in the shop and it encourages artists and designers to be more creative and design new things,” says Chantal.
All the designs on display in The Fringe Arts stores are made locally in South Africa and more good news is that Thessa and Chantal have big plans to pop up in other cities around the country, giving greater exposure to local artists and designers.
The designs and artworks available at The Fringe Arts include those by the likes of Dale Yudelman, Karin Miller, Brett Murray, Elsabé Milandri and many more.
• The Fringe Arts, Spier Wine Farm, Stellenbosch, 021 809 1142
• V&A pop-up store, Shop 6, Alfred Mall, V&A Waterfront
