YOU'RE WELCOME

So many design studios, so little time... We find out how Stephen Wilson created a space for you to view and support them all.

- SINDEKA MANDOYI

Always Welcome first opened its doors in the middle of Covid in 2020 - when no one was welcome anywhere. Fast forward three years and the collective retail space for local furniture, homeware and decor designers has grown immensely, with four stores - two in South Africa and two abroad - as well as talk of expansion across Africa and Europe.

A design collective for owner-run studios, Always Welcome not only explores the quality of African craftsmanship, but it also creates a blueprint that recognises and celebrates Africans as designers. With a flagship store in Hyde Park, Joburg, and a more recent addition in Cape Town's CBD, Always Welcome showcases the work of local designers - both established and up-and-coming alike replacing the pressure of competition with the power of collaboration.

"We believe in creating jobs for Africans and taking African designs to the world"

So, what does it take to start an African design movement? We sat down with the co-founder Stephen Wilson to find out.

What is the concept behind this cooperative?

Always Welcome was formed when my co-founders and I got together and launched a collective of Southern African designers. The concept was to give a platform to local designers in desirable retail spaces, and in a way that hadn't been done before.

Why is it important to showcase local designers?