An Inside Look Into Ted Baker’s First Store In South Africa

Ted Baker launched his first store in South Africa within Sandton City, Johannesburg.  The 1960 square foot retail space will house Ted’s SS16 menswear, womenswear and accessory collections.

Every Ted Baker store design is bespoke and no two are the same.  For this project, inspiration has been taken from Johannesburg’s famous Shakespeare garden, whereby plants mentioned within the works of William Shakespeare are cultivated in a beautiful and serene setting.  With Ted also being an avid gardener himself, he wanted to bring his horticultural talent and a little Elizabethan grandeur found in England, to South Africa. 

An ornate Elizabethan wooden framed store front and antique oak floor with a black and white chequered in-lay, welcomes customers to the new space.  Plants and hanging greenery trail down behind the glazed shop front and an ornate gilded ceiling feature is reminiscent of a British stately home.

Conservatory style panelled walls with lush green plants behind the arches act as a hiding place for famous Shakespearean symbols and artefacts.  The skull from ‘Hamlet’ and the scales from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ are just a few of the treasures that can be found.  Sumptuous, heavy velvet fabrics and drapes fall from the ceiling, softening the interior.   Neon quotes on the wall mark the menswear and womenswear shopping areas; “The soul of the man is his clothes” and, “And though she be but little, she is fierce” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream.