Bamboo was launched in 1999 to the day by former Melville couple, Alison Green and Barry Gould as a retail alternative that is thoughtful, wholesome, design-focussed and contemporary. Each of the eight interlinked shops upholds the lifestyle centre's ethos of supplying South African products and services that are life-enhancing and indulgent to the senses.
• Service Station - attributing its name to the petrol station originally located there, Service Station restaurant and deli has operated in the centre since its inception and is run by Chef Carmen van der Merwe
• Love Books, managed by Jaci Jenkins and Kate Rogan, is a small and independent bookshop created for adults and children who love books. Regular Saturday morning story-telling sessions are popular events
• Tinsel, a contemporary jewellery store showcases the wares of 50 different South African artists. Started in 2005 by designers Geraldine Fenn and Jaci Jenkins, Tinsel had its origins in a garage converted into a studio - later moving to its retail space at Bamboo, selected by the owners for its location and ambience
• The Blooming Plate, brainchild of lawyer Marie-Aurelie Girard, is a shop designed to inspire a return to the celebration of dining with expressive and quirky ceramics and hand painted crockery made by South African artists including Peter Nthombeni and Wendy McLachlan
• Black Coffee offers South African fashions created by award-winning designers Daniça Lepen and Jacques van der Watt and is defined by high-energy and cutting-edge couture. An established international label, it excelled recently at the Berlin Fashion Week
• Smelt, a glass studio owned by Martli Janse van Rensburg and Ilse Doyer, showcases glassware designed by local artists and glassblowers. Members of the public can experience the process of glassblowing and casting at workshops
• Renue, run by massage therapist Elmarie Davidson, offers body therapy treatments designed specifically for stress-relief. Believing firmly that body therapy should be separated from beauty treatments, Elmarie's shop is not a salon but instead a retreat for exhausted clients
• Upstairs@Bamboo is a sought-after gallery space with plenty of natural light and a view of the Parks where contemporary South African artists exhibit their works for a minimum of 10 days as well as enjoy promotional support from Bamboo.
For more information: www.bamboo-online.co.za.
