Why Cape Town's Cornerstore Is Revolutionizing the Common Streetwear Shop
So much more than retail.
The rapid progression of online shopping sales and subsequent global retail losses last year have left some wondering, is an imminent death of retail approaching? Our latest HBTV episode brings us to the urban South African hub of Cape Town, where a group of tight-knit friends are quietly remodeling the common streetwear shop as we know it. Stark white walls serve as blank canvases for Cornerstore’s vast selection of art, toy and streetwear goods, which stand alongside retro arcade games, KAWS figurines and Super Nintendo controllers encased in glass displays. At the back, a separate wing has been transformed into a solitary art space for illustration and design work.
Cornerstore is more than a retail space — it’s a special haven, where Matthew of Sol Sol, Anthony of 2BOP and Anees Petersen of Yung Anned Lazy are revolutionizing the common store as a multifunctional social space for friends and creatives alike, thus providing for their culture in more ways than just selling clothes. The team hails from a skateboarding background, and continues to propel this DIY-aesthetic in an elevated means by providing a global taste rooted in boosting local production. Taking advantage of Cape Town’s illustrious textile industry, everything from the shop’s design concepts to sample and clothing production is done entirely upstairs, while the main floor is reserved for retail. By providing a multipurpose space for art, music and fashion, the guys behind Cornerstore are changing the way we think about selling merchandise by connecting the community in a completely organic way. Get a glimpse inside the store in the video above and watch more HBTV episodes here.
