Inside We Are Egg's new next-gen department store in Joburg

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Originally launched in Cavendish Square in December 2020, in the thick of the Covid-19 lockdown, by Paul Simon and Arie Fabian in partnership with Old Mutual, the new Rosebank store has been created with the Joburg customer in mind and has been built on a similar model to the iconic UK-based Selfridges department store.

The curated 3,000m² space features a host of local and international brands across men’s, women's and kids fashion, beauty, home and jewellery departments, with the addition of a restaurant and bar, all under one roof.

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"With the spirit of an independent, Egg has the scale of a department store. The 150 brands have poured their creative souls into this project, and when you enter, you will feel the passion in the air," the company said.

These are some of the brand highlights visitors can expect at the new store.

Rich Mnisi

Rich Mnisi has launched his first physical retail offering at We Are Egg. Widely heralded for his fusion of contemporary pop culture and traditional African heritage, Mnisi’s designs infuse his own personal narrative into extremist yet minimalist structures. He works across genders, seasons, geographical lines and creative disciplines, with a twin devotion to craftsmanship and experimentation.

His work has made international headlines in media outlets such as Dazed, i-D, Vice, Vogue Italia and WWD. He draws influences from film, music and photography, and he frequently art directs editorial and campaign shoots.

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“We are super excited for our community to fully engage with the Rich Mnisi universe, as they step into a physical realm as an extension to our online presence as we introduce our first brick and mortar space,” says Rich Mnisi, founder and owner of Rich Mnisi.

Diane Paris

Diane Paris is focused on creating elegant women’s ready-to-wear collections, with high-quality luxe garments that are suited for any occasion from the boardroom to a cocktail event. Each Diane piece comes from an intimate process that begins in Paris, where luxury fabrics are handpicked from various top houses ensuring timeless luxury in every garment. Once selected, the fabrics are sent to Poland where an internal manufacturing process takes place to create classic effortless designs.

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Commenting on what you can expect at We Are Egg, Paris says, “Diane-Paris imbues love and confidence into every design with the goal of leaving each person feeling comfortable and confident in looking good. The Diane Paris brand has built a reputation that stands for elegance and timeless glamour. Our focus is functional easy luxe pieces that you can use for any occasion. We’re classic with a twist and we strive for comfort and confidence using our pieces to elevate each woman’s journey.”

Anea

In a first for South African indoor retail, Cape Town-based artisanal terrarium creator Anea launched its products inside a custom, conservatory-styled greenhouse at We Are Egg Rosebank. Until now, Anea handcrafted terrariums have only been available online and in Cape Town for inland enthusiasts.

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Creator Denny Mo is excited about the new development. “We are thrilled to be opening the first greenhouse in a mall in South Africa, this is the single most exciting thing to happen in a retail space. Our team and Egg’s architects have spent a lot of time designing the greenhouse together. We've built over 250 terrariums all hand-made from Cape Town. This launch will bring nature into retail like no one has seen before”

The Piercery

Founded by Roxy Burger, The Piercery is both a piercing studio and a jewellery store that performs ear, face and limited body piercings inside Egg. It offers ear styling and curation featuring a vast range of implant-grade surgical steel, titanium and solid gold jewellery.

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Swiitch Beauty

At just 14 years old, Rabia Ghoor started Swiitch Beauty in her bedroom in Pretoria with just two products and an Instagram page.Offering a wide range of cosmetics and skincare, today the brand has a huge customer base and has become one of the most popular local beauty brands in SA.

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Crystal Birch

Milliner extraordinaire Crystal Birch is a leading lady in the sartorial landscape of South Africa - and when it comes to hats or anything adorning the head, she is the go-to for the country’s most creative characters. Although Birch remains a guardian of millinery tradition, her power lies in her ability to elevate hat-making as effortlessly chic and relevant for the 21st century. Under her watchful eye, every hat is designed and imbued with its own unique essence by the in-house team, championing local production for global locations.

Some of the other brands on offer include: Cultish, Me & B, Puma Select, Rosey & Vittori, Michelle Ludek, Float, Converse, Heron Preston, Artclub and Friends, Sol Sol, Stiebeuel, New Balance, Fuata Moyo, Birkenstock, Crocs and Culture of Brave.