Collective consciousness

WORDS & PHOTOS Lisa Johnston

A new monthly pop-up in Joburg brings young designers and style makers together under one roof to showcase the best of the city’s up-and-coming talent. Lisa Johnston spoke to Collective’s project manager, Catherine Corry, about the city’s new retail experience.

If Joburg has earned the reputation as Cape Town’s poor cousin in terms of lifestyle and design events, the Collective is a vibrant retail experience set to help change all that. The brainchild of event and project management expert Catherine Corry (who has also worked on the successful Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein), the Collective showcases a diverse range of good quality design and decor, alongside jewellery, vintage collections, fabric, furniture, clothing and accessories.

The pop-up launched in December and takes place each month in Kramerville at The Rooftop on 3 Desmond Street, which is fast acquiring a name as a hot event destination itself. Set in what was formerly an industrial area that has been transformed into a decor and design hub, The Rooftop boasts a wide sweeping veranda with beautiful views over Sandton. It’s a great location to sip a glass of champagne or a beer while gently perambulating the space and enjoying the variety of stalls. It’s a relaxed experience for the shopper with a good selection of well-priced wares and a far better way to flex your credit card on local design than being crammed into a mall. 

We got chatting to Catherine:

In a few words how would you sum up Collective?

Collective is a dynamic monthly pop-up market that brings local designers and entrepreneurs together to appeal to an audience in an unconventional retail space environment.

Pop-up shops are a relatively new concept in Johannesburg, what is the advantage (for retailers and buyers) of this kind of retail experience?

The purpose of Collective is to create an environment for designers who are busy establishing themselves and don’t have a permanent retail space. Collective takes place once a month, which generates a lot of attention and brings through an audience that is prepared to shop. Retailers will generally put more effort into their events and use them to reengage with their audience and grow their followers through this unusual environment. The buyers tend to look at the items in a new light because they are not in the same dreary spaces.

Are you happy with people’s response to Collective so far?

We have had an incredible response to the Collective so far. The buyers have enjoyed the variety and the environment, and the retailers have been really happy with the turnout, the networking opportunities and the turnover at the start of each month.

Do you source designers to take part in Collective or do they come to you?

I source and I also receive an incredible amount of applications, but I am quite specific about the kind of traders that I believe will work so I’m always looking for new designers.

How important is quality control?

Quality control is critical to ensure consistency. I definitely don’t allow every application into the market, but I do like to create variety.

Have you noticed a change in South Africans appreciation of local design?
Yes, I think that South Africans are supporting local designers because local designers are producing incredibly beautiful products that are accessible, well priced and of an international standard.

The next Collective takes place on Sunday 7 April 2013 from 10am to 4pm on The Rooftop at 3 Desmond Street, Kramerville. For more information visit www.collective-jhb