Sollie Herselman works with a number of South Africa’s most elite brands including Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Luminance, Wolford, The Wish Collection which houses Corneliani menswear, Frette linen, Baccarat crystal and grooming products which have all been endorsed by the Royal family, as well as the Riga Group, which houses MaxMara, Gerard Darel and Eva Kayan. As the only Visual Merchandiser who has received training through Max Mara International, Herselman gained his clientele after years of retail experience. Starting at Junior level in a national chain store, he was running a department of 56 stores nationwide, and training 400 members of staff, before he decided to go it alone. Herselman’s flair is creating a focussed image for a brand. He says, “For every company there is a unique approach. I base each visual strategy on the type of consumer the store attracts, the merchandise in the store, as well as what the company’s identity stands for.” Furthermore, when creating a concept for a luxury brand, the aim is to construct a dream-like, aspirational image, while maintaining an attainability that consumers can relate to. Herselman works alone, hiring two assistants when he is installing the concept in-store, and has his own prop-building workshop. This means he is involved in the entire process from conceptualising, for brands like Sadie Price in Hyde Park; the building and technical implementation for Louis Vuitton, whose stores are designed abroad and launched on the same day worldwide, for global uniformity; and coordination for MaxMara, who integrates the rotation of each range with their visual merchandising concept. The stores that Herselman works on are “destination stores”. He says, “The consumers of these brands return regularly so we must engage them every time.” This means offering an entirely new experience. MaxMara’s Hyde Park store is completely re-merchandised every thirteen days. At the Wish Collection in Sandton City, the focus is on creating a complete sensory experience that combines the various products in their showroom, including men’s grooming products, fragrances, chocolate, clothing, and linen, the majority of which carry Her Royal Highness, the Queen of England’s seal. Meanwhile the Really Great Brand Company (Herselman’s first non-fashion client) extends the image of luxury to their beverage brands Moët & Chandon and Dom Perignon, by displaying a single product in an elaborately lit window, as seen at Norman Goodfellows in Melrose Arch.