CHAPTER 1

Despite a budding career in the Navy cataloguing classified documents such as the designs of a new tog-bag, I spotted an advert for au pairs in America.

In what I like to think of as a whirlwind of fate, I misread the advert, arrived at the wrong agency at the right time and within a month found myself in New York discovering a whole different meaning to the word retail.

One year of American living later, with the reality that my economy seat hadn't shrunk slowly dawning on me, I was headed for the UK, a family reunion and a diet of chickpeas and lentils.

Exploring the lanes of Brighton, the alleyways of Warwick, the cobbled streets of Edinburgh and the shopping streets of a hundred other towns was my pastime, and I was happily learning yet another meaning to the word retail. I came to appreciate the warm, fuzzy, hustle-and-bustle of British town shopping - where shops are tucked away, stumbled upon and the magic of their stunning products remain hidden from all but the explorers among us. The harder I searched, the more rewarding it was. Beautiful displays, different, fresh, inspiring - so much choice, so much I desperately wanted to buy; So tantalising, so taunting, a perverse pleasure, RETAIL THERAPY.

CHAPTER 2

I knew then I wanted to bring this back to South Africa, and offer the best of everything I'd seen to all South Africans. All that was left was to persuade my husband to give up our house, jobs and car with the promise of 363 days sunshine a year - yes, sorry I lied - and an overland trip via the Far East. One LandRover, one roof-top tent, a LOT of potholes (that's another story) and 6 months under African skies brought us back to Cape Town for the plan to begin in earnest.

Thanks to my precious collection of scribbled down notes, addresses, websites and phone numbers from all the amazing countries I have visited, I have been able to source some of the most exciting and tempting ranges, and bring it to our stores.

CHAPTER 3

All that was left was to create a very hard-working team, who take great personal pride in their creative and contemporary displays, have great knowledge, give a warm welcome and have an uncanny ability to give great advice. I like to think of it as the happy alliance of the comfort of a boutique hotel and the temptation of a Belgian chocolatier - irresistibly stunning, or stunningly irresistible?

DEFINITELY NOT 'THE END'