THE MAKING OF
THE MODELIST
ABOUT THE MODELIST
The Modelist is your purveyor of conscious products, thoughtful experiences, and creative moments – an address that aims to foster curiosity, to create a neighbourhood, and to cultivate a slow living ethos. This is the modelist’s nook: a refuge, retreat, a cocoon for those who seek inspiration. We cherish the glint in your eye with that first sip of coffee, that slipping away into your book, that appreciation of an intricate flower or a beautifully woven fabric.
Through a coffee-and-coworking corner, The Modelist enables modelists to present and attend workshops and to find their ideas in a nurturing environment. With every visit, we hope to ignite your creativity and to instil a sense of calm in you.
We are proudly (slow) South African.
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS
In her career, Veronique van der Westhuizen has donned many hats, including that of retoucher, wedding dress designer and maker, fashion and portrait photographer, and pop-up shop guru. Sustainable fashion runs like a golden thread through the fabric of her life.
Like a true modelist, she drove by 139 Main Road and saw numerous possibilities: the opportunity for her own shop, a store which houses clothing made from sustainable fabric (inclusive of all shapes and sizes), but she also saw the opportunity to uplift the main road and to broaden Somerset West’s offering.
Step in Brett Watson.
The golden thread throughout his career has been getting businesses off the ground by asking the right questions, creating structure, and bringing creativity backed by planning. His experience comes from working in business services for mining in Africa and being the CFO of a group of mining engineering companies.
The Modelist is their homage to craftmanship, heritage, creativity, and community. A space for young South Africans to dream, but also to do.
"BECAUSE WHEN I GO, WHAT WILL I LEAVE BEHIND? HOPEFULLY A FOND MEMORY, BUT PREFERABLY NOT THE PLASTIC IN MY CLOTHING."
Veronique van der Westhuizen