Vital stats
Player: Nicole Morris
Company: House of Fashion
Launched: 2008
Contact: +27 (0)21 422 4479, houseoffashion.co.za
Live design studio House of Fashion opened in Cape Town last year, bringing together Nicole Morris’s group of fashion companies under one roof in Loop Street.
“My vision for the business was to take garment manufacturing into the retail sector,” says Morris. “Straight to the customer, in other words, without having to supply the retail chain stores first.”
Morris says people are looking for something more than what’s available in shopping malls. “Our environment is unique and the help of a personal stylist makes the shopping experience so exclusive. People want to see new and exciting products, they don’t want to wear what everyone else is buying, and most of all they want good value. We provide all these things.”
For stylish consumers, House of Fashion is a one-stop shopping experience that showcases exclusive international brands and local items designed by Morris’s team and other local designers she works with.
And the market’s there. A flagship House of Fashion store is opening soon in Sandton and will include bridal wear, a men’s bespoke suiting range, in addition to limited range items, swimwear and casual wear. An interior decorating arm will enable people to shop for art and furniture by well known artists and interior decorators as well.
Morris says the clothing industry has many challenges, which is why she’s decided to do things her own way. “If you fear failure, or capability or the future, there is just no way of moving forward. You have to trust in the process.”