Role: 3D Visualisation, Local Authority Approval Drawings & Technical Documentation
Scope:
Retail Rollout for Leigh Schubert: Gateway, Brooklyn & Rosebank Malls
A trio of retail stores designed for fashion designer Leigh Schubert, at Gateway, Brooklyn, and Rosebank Malls. share a unified design philosophy centered on speed, adaptability, and bold brand expression.
Working as a subcontractor to KOOP Design, we were brought on under intense time pressure. The leases for all three locations had already been signed, and the client was determined to open the stores before year-end, leaving just a few weeks for design, documentation, approvals, and fabrication.
Leigh Schubert, a well-established high-end women’s fashion brand based in Durban, had until this point distributed through third-party retailers. These new stores marked a major step forward: an opportunity to define the brand’s presence through dedicated, purpose-built retail environments.
The flagship store at Gateway was especially important, intended to anchor the identity of the rollout and set the tone for future expansion.
The brief was clear: design an interior solution that could be manufactured and assembled rapidly, remain cost-effective, and reflect the spirit of the brand. Adaptability was essential and displays and elements needed to evolve with seasonal collections. The design concept had to be replicable in various locations and spatial configurations.
From the outset, we faced challenges: compressed timelines (around 4–6 weeks from concept to launch for the flagship store), complex coordination between multiple trades and suppliers, and the need to navigate mall management and local authority approval processes quickly and efficiently.
Our approach was pragmatic and agile. We focused early efforts on assessing concept feasibility, sourcing the right team, and developing a modular design language that allowed for rapid assembly (and dis-assembly!) and flexibility in layout.
KOOP Design led the high-level design direction and oversaw the fabrication process, while Lotus Creations was responsible for the production of approval packages and detailed fabrication drawings.
Despite the pressure, the outcome was a success. All three stores opened on schedule, delivering bold, brand-aligned retail spaces that are as adaptable as they are striking, laying a strong foundation for future rollouts nationwide.
