Window shopping at the Watershed

We popped by the newly opened Watershed at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town to check out some of the gorgeous local design and craft on sale.

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African design and craft has found a new home in the light and airy space of the recently opened Watershed at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. Formerly know as the Blue Shed, the market is now housed in the building that incorporates the unused historic warehouse, Workshop 17. The two structures have undergone a radical transformation courtesy of Wolff Architects. Watch our interview with Heinrich Wolff about it here. 

The building now accommodates a new market-style retail space on the ground floor, dedicated exhibition and event space above that, as well as the new innovation hub of the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business.

About 150 tenants, carefully curated by Trevyn McGowan of Source, have set up shop in the retail space, offering a wide range of products across categories such as fashion, jewellery, craft, homeware and decor. 

Here is a taste of what to expect.

 

Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
An avenue runs through the lofty industrial space that creates a high-street-like feel. It is flanked by stalls in a market-style layout that you can meadner through.
Pichulik stall at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
Stock up on beautiful accessories from Pichulik, who was recently awarded Accessory Designer of the Year at the AFI African Fashion Awards. Designer Katherine-Mary Pichulik got her start as an Emerging Creative in 2012.
Pichulik stall at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
We love Pichulik's "Under the Sea" necklace in blue layered over the "Agate Queen".
Kushn brogues at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
Shoes and bags from Kushn by Greer Valley and Thembalezwe Mntambo, who also launched their brand as an Emerging Creative, combine leather and traditional woven textiles sourced across the African continent. Find their wares at the CCDI's shop.
FlipFlop Sculptures at The Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
You will also find some traditional crafts sold at The Watershed. We love this reinterpretation of the tourist-friendly animal curio made from recycled flip-flops by FlipFlop Sculptures.
Daniel Ting Chong for Unknown Union at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
Cape Town-based illustrator (and one of the first Emerging Creatives at Design Indaba Expo) Daniel Ting Chong's graphic print designs for Unknown Union are also on offer. Read more about the designs here.
Lisa Firer at the Art in the Forest stall at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
This monochromatic grouping of ceramicist Lisa Firer's delicate porcelain vases caught our eye at the Art in the Forest stall.
Art in the Forest stall at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
An impressive vertical garden of smoke-fired ceramic vases is also on offer at the Art in the Forest stall.
Magents at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
A pair of homegrown kicks from local fashion label Magents who launched their first sneaker collection in 2013.
Magents at the Watershed at V&A Waterfront.
We also really like the Magents packaging, an appropriation of the iconic Lion Matchbox.