Abby & Ross
Abby & Ross opened in November 2008 in the Parks shopping centre in Parkwood, opposite Polish Nail Spa and next to Park Café. It began as a short-term Christmas pop-up, intended to bring life to a space that had stood empty for more than a year and had created a noticeable gap in the centre. After the festive season, it became clear there was appetite for something more permanent, and the shop evolved into an ongoing retail project.
At the time, I loved sourcing gifting and retail items for Polish, but regularly came across things that didn’t quite belong there. Abby & Ross became the outlet for that instinct. While the lease sat elsewhere initially, I drove the concept and selection, working closely with those involved to shape the store. Once the Christmas pop-up ended, we made the decision to continue.
From the outset, the store was guided by taste and curiosity. I was drawn to interesting, well-designed objects and wanted the shop to feel thoughtful rather than crowded. The focus wasn’t exclusively local, though I was excited by the opportunity to introduce emerging South African brands that weren’t widely available. Alongside these sat carefully chosen international pieces: Scandinavian Christmas items from Maileg, books from Assouline, beautifully bound stationery from Sweden, Cavallini paper goods from the US, soaps from Claus Porto, candles from Carrière Frères, and other quietly cult products that felt special without being ostentatious.
At the time, there were very few stores in Johannesburg putting product together in this way. Abby & Ross felt personal and welcoming, and I was closely involved in the day-to-day rhythm of the space. People came in to browse, to buy gifts, and often simply to look. The shop created its own kind of pause.
The realities of retail, however, were instructive. Stock risk was constant, and I hadn’t done enough forecasting or financial planning. Most importantly, I failed to define what the store needed to generate to justify the time and energy I was investing. In many ways, I treated it like a passion project rather than a business.
There was also tension around ownership. For a period, I was creating the income and shaping the identity of the store without fully benefiting from it, a familiar pattern that echoed my experience at Park Café. I eventually took ownership toward the end of 2010, but the lesson had already landed.
What Abby & Ross made unmistakably clear was how much I loved sourcing and curation. The act of selecting, editing and bringing objects together felt deeply aligned. It sharpened my eye and my confidence, and it taught me to trust my instincts. I also learned, sometimes uncomfortably, that allowing others to persuade me into stocking products that didn’t feel right rarely worked. I’m far less inclined to do that now.
Looking back, Abby & Ross sits clearly within the arc of my work. It was about recognising beauty in objects, understanding how they speak to one another, and creating a space that invited discovery. That sensibility continues to shape how I think about retail, collaboration and curated environments today.