Johannesburg

44 Stanley

  44 Stanley Ave, Milpark ,   Melville          +27 11 482 4444     12 May 2023
A former light industrial complex from the 1930s transformed into a boutique shopping destination, 44 Stanley – opened in 2003 – offers an enticing selection of designer clothing boutiques and artisanal homeware stores, artist studios, a cinema, plus great coffee, a choice of cafés, and so much more spread across a series of pretty interlinked courtyards.

Explore the shops, make an afternoon of your visit with a lazy lunch in the courtyard, or grab a drink with friends, 44 Stanley is one of those must-visit Joburg destinations.

Fashion and accessories

44 Stanley has plenty of local independent fashion labels, known for high-quality production and timeless appeal.

At Guillotine by Lisa Jaffe, you'll find sensual fitted forms and luxurious fabrics, with a focus on the architecture of each clothing item. At Lunar the emphasis is on timelessly chic pieces.

For a range of locally designed garments, shoppers can try Me&B, a South African brand founded by Kelly and Betina, a mother and daughter team from Cape Town. Me&B prides itself in making fashion fun and accessible for all women by stocking pieces in sizes 32-46. 
 
Me&B's feel fabulous garments 
For men, there's Thabiso Modise's MoMa, stocking a personally selected range of items from cult European menswear labels and his designs.  At the small and quirky Ifuku, you can shop for a remarkable range of vintage denim, including jeans by cult Japanese brands. Five8ths is a shirt maker and their beautifully tailored shirts are custom-made in-store from high-quality fabrics. 

Additionally, men looking for a one-stop-shop consisting of sustainable skincare products, clothing items such as slim-fit linen shirts, sneakers and fragrances can pop into Land of Kin, previously known as the super chic Odrin located near Salvation Café. 

For exquisite event wear, bridal gowns, dresses, and much more, Jessica Jane is the label making clothing for the feminine, classy and confident woman. You might have seen South African TV personality Minnie Dlamini snapped on social media wearing one of the pieces from the Noluthando Collection.
 

For accessories Cape Town’s hip handmade leather accessories label Rowdy Bags is a big favourite, especially as all their items come with a lifetime guarantee. Next door to Rowdy is Gone Outdoor Supply Company, a specialist outdoor clothing store aimed at trail runners and hikers. Gone is an official seller of clothing and gear by Patagonia (a brand known for its dedication to sustainable and ethically sourced materials).
Rowdy Bags at 44 Stanley
Those looking for outdoor gear made from recycled plastic like cooler bags, toiletry bags and duffel bags can visit Karibu, a social enterprise that connects 34 local artisans and seamstresses.

Leather lovers will love King Cobbler, a space with a handful of skilled cobblers and designers who provide services for shoes, bags and just about anything that you would need to be repaired, restored or custom-made. The space is also a stockist of custom handmade leather footwear & belts, apparel, socks, and leather care products. 

Books, vinyl, gifts and homeware

The Atelier is an expert framing studio and also offers a great selection of limited-edition prints by South African artists, which make great gifts. The space is also a visual feast for bookworms with imported, limited edition and collector’s item books for adults and kids. Opposite is quaint second-hand bookshop L’Elephant Terrible. Satisfy your literary needs without breaking the bank with a wide range of Africana titles, first edition classics and beautifully illustrated botanical reference books.
 
L'Elephant Terrible bookshop at 44 Stanley
Other wonderful specialist boutiques include Mr Vinyl, for that hard-to-find jazz title or the latest vinyl releases, Mungo Design which sells luxurious woven linens made according to traditional 19th-Century techniques. When it comes to gifts the ceramics from Storm in a Teacup are hard to resist, Lucky Fish is a friendly shop selling exquisite clothing and homeware made from Indian cotton, and the small house plant shop JFF has an excellent selection of plants and pots.

For a beautiful bouquet, order online from Petal & Post, a flower delivery service whose distribution point is at 44 Stanley.
Gorgeous gifts galore at Petal & Post

Adding to the selection of homeware stores, Bed Bath Body offers finely crafted body care products. The sensory table where shoppers can explore every fragrance, pick up, interact, moisturise, spray and get a feel for each product is an awesome feature.

Co is a bespoke furniture store that offers locally designed and crafted artisanal, functional pieces by the décor brand KusudiCo. 
Mungo Design's classic waffle weave 'vrou vrou' blanket
Near IFUKU and Even After All is Hers His & Home, a home and lifestyle-focused store offering a curation of small collections from the owner's friends, independent artists, and designers. 
 

Places to eat

Enjoy the scent of freshly roasted coffee at Bean There, South Africa's first roaster of Certified Fair Trade coffee, and buy a bag to take home. 

44 Stanley’s go-to sourdough bread and boutique wine stockists at Voisin have added a quaint little spot called ici to the complex's selection of charming cafés. The name means ici means  "here" in French (and is pronounced ee-see, rather than itchy), and the café is inspired by Afro-French tastes.
Bean There at 44 Stanley, one of Joburg's finest Fair Trade roasters
For a delicious breakfast or a relaxed family meal, Salvation Café is an ideal choice, with one of the best selections of both savoury and sweet breakfasts and a popular courtyard terrace. Head to La Pergola for Northern Italian cuisine, or Saint Germain for dishes with a French twist. Forest Gelato serves up the best homemade gelato and sorbets.

For cocktails, casual drinks and small plate dishes, settle in at the super-pretty Peachy courtyard.
Breakfast at Salvation Café at 44 Stanley

Independent cinema

​​​​​​Joburg's original independent cinema, The Bioscope is devoted to bringing the latest in arthouse, indie, documentary and African films to the South African big screen.
The Bioscope courtyard is a fantastic little spot for film lovers to congregate
In addition to a spacious 47-room cinema, there's The Bioscope gift shop where you can buy movie-related memorabilia such as books and posters as well cool T-shirts (many of them movie inspired) from illustrator and The Bioscope's founder Russell Grant's Limited Edish label. It's a great venue for a birthday party, corporate event or even a marriage proposal (yes, this really happened using the big screen). 

Studios

Acre is an interior design studio that offers services such as interior architecture, interior styling, and design and doubles as a retail store that stocks stunning furniture pieces. Counterspace Studio is another space that offers architecture and design. The studio is led by the world-renowned architect Sumayaa Valley, with Sarah de Villiers and Amina Kaskar. 

Kate Otten also has her practice at 44 Stanley and is part of a generation of significant architects working in the South African space. Kate's works and that of her practice have been widely published and have won numerous awards locally and internationally.
Mduduzi Mabaso posing for an Actor Spaces article. Photo by Mlungisi Mlungwana 
44 Stanley is also quarters to Actor Spaces, a creative space that facilitates the creation of a digital publication of the same name. 

Artists and art 

Several artists have studios here including Fhatuwani Mukheli, Justice Mukheli and Sthu Manaka of My Loves Studio, which is open on First Thursdays monthly. Read more about 44 Stanley as an art destination here.  

We also recommend a visit to the listening library upstairs belonging to Zimbabwean mixed media artist, Kudzanai Chiurai. His studio with a rich archive of vinyl records is called The Library of Things we Forgot to Remember
There is a rich selection of vinyl records to explore at The Library of Things we Forgot to Remember
Brunch is a quirky design shop that was created as an extension of graphic design and illustration studio, Paper Snap. The shelves at this imaginative space feature eye-catching illustrated items such as prints, postcards, greeting cards, stickers, pins, wrapping paper and stationery produced by local and international artists.

Artist Admin offers artists administrative support ranging from shipping and eCommerce to exhibition management and production. The services offered by Artist Admin cater to creators specialising in multiple disciplines and their clients include musicians, painters, illustrators, photographers, videographers, designers and even coders. 
The Artist Admin team executes all its services with care
Bailey’s African History Archive (Shop BAHA) honours South Africa’s iconic Drum Magazine with its extensive collection of iconic images from the archive. Located in the central courtyard, the archive store embodies and extends the authentically South African essence of the historic publication through poster, print, greeting card and T-shirt sales of original Drum imagery. 

An extension of The Atelier, The Gallery is a collaborative, artist-run space curated by artist Chloë Reid and includes exhibitions, residencies, screenings and other forms of creative collaboration.

Hair salon and beauty

Wyatt is an eco-conscious hair salon, owned by acclaimed stylist, Candice Wyatt-Minter. Get a signature adventurous Wyatt hairstyle, while sipping coffee in a salon suited to a décor magazine shoot. 
Wyatt Hairdressing at 44 Stanley. Photo by Robyn Davie
Glow Theory is a dedicated K-beauty (Korean beauty) retailer that was founded in 2017. The store features a curated selection of some of the most popular international skincare brands.

Website

Social Links:

Amenities

Outside seating
Guarded parking

Email

sihaukele@group44.co.za

Events at this venue

Friday Mar 8 - Sunday Mar 31
Blessing Rooi with The Manor: 'REKAOFELA' at 44 Stanley

Associated Venues

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