Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile, is all set to host its first, entirely authentic, street-culture market.
The event, dubbed Street Culture Social Market, will be hosted by the iLifa Mall in the Michelangelo Towers. It has been designed as a platform for up-and-coming black entrepreneurs to showcase their fashion brands in an original way.
“The traditional Sandton shopping experience has been known for its impressive array of international fashion brands. Sadly though it has little to no offering when it comes to authentic South African street fashion,” says Karin Vermeulen, brainchild behind the event and Manager of the iLifa Mall.
“The idea is to uplift our local talent by providing them with access to an affluent market. We also aim to inject an authentic street-culture vibe into the hallways of the mall making it appealing to both locals and tourists alike,” says Karin.
Dope Brands On Display
The Street Culture Social Market will run in the iLifa Mall from 1-24 December from 10am to 6pm daily. Some of the brands fashionistas can look forward to seeing at the market include Bandz Sneakers, Afrocentric, Dibaba, Busti Bras and more.
The iLifa Mall forms part of the Legacy Group which owns a variety of tourist-driven properties in Sandton including:
- The Leonardo,
- The Michelangelo and
- the DAVINCI Hotels & Suites
An Instagrammable space
Legacy’s longer term concept for the mall is to reshape as the iLifa Collective in Street Fashion and Lifestyle. The idea is to create a highly Instagrammable, space inspired by Vilakazi street. In addition to fashion brands, the mall will include restaurants, bars, nail salons, hair dressers, sneaker shops and more.
“The pop-up market and future plans for The Legacy Group’s iLifa Mall is an exciting venture. We believe this has great potential within the Sandton market.
The space is directly accessible for the tourists staying in our hotels, many of whom are looking for an authentic South African experience. without having to travel to get there,” says Robert Hodson, COO of Legacy Hotels & Resorts.