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The Guillotine Story
Opened in 2011, the Guillotine flagship at 44 Stanley is the physical heart of the brand. Set within Johannesburg’s tranquil urban design precinct, the store offers a natural meeting point for fashion, art, craftsmanship and community. As Guillotine has evolved, the space has evolved with it becoming a destination for discovering the complete collection alongside a carefully curated selection of South African design.
A physical store makes design tactile and personal. Fabrics can be touched, details examined and silhouettes experienced on the body. Our knowledgeable in-house team takes time to understand each client, offering thoughtful styling and helping them build a wardrobe that reflects how they live and wish to express themselves. This intimate exchange transforms shopping from an anonymous transaction into a conversation shaped by fit, feeling and discovery.
Our Creative Partners
A CURATED COLLECTIVE
Guillotine’s flagship features a carefully selected collection of South African partner brands that share our commitment to exceptional craftsmanship, ethical practices, and intentional design.
Spanning jewelry, leather accessories, knitwear, and textiles, each brand was chosen to complement Guillotine's softly sculptural aesthetic while offering unique perspectives. Together, this curated collective celebrates local creative talent and offers a holistic experience grounded in quality, collaboration, and timeless design.
More than a Store
Over the years, the flagship has become a lighthouse for the Guillotine community. A setting for collection launches, gatherings, creative collaborations, store redesigns and countless conversations. Long-standing relationships with clients have grown here, some reaching back to the store’s earliest years.
We believe a physical space creates opportunities for connection, storytelling and the exchange of ideas. Visitors are invited to slow down, linger and explore how clothing, jewellery, knitwear and design objects speak to one another. More than a store, Guillotine at 44 Stanley is a living expression of the brand: personal, evolving and grounded in relationships.
Meet Lisa
THE CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND GUILLOTINE
Lisa Jaffe is the founder, Creative Director and designer of Guillotine, as well as the curator of the Guillotine Store. Her work begins with a simple but deeply felt belief: clothing matters. Because it is physical and part of daily life, a cut, fibre or silhouette can bring comfort, express individuality and change how a person feels. This understanding of fabric, the body in motion and the emotional value of what we wear shapes both Guillotine and Lisa’s wider approach to South African design. Her guiding principle is practical yet ambitious: to create good everyday design that shifts the everyday for the wearer.
Designer, Curator, Collaborator
Lisa first presented collections at South African Fashion Week in 2004, established Guillotine in 2007 and opened its Johannesburg flagship in 2011. Her conceptual presentations have consistently moved beyond the conventional runway, bringing fashion into conversation with art, performance and spatial design. These projects have included short films exploring dressing as performance, garments presented in dialogue with interiors, inflatable clothing and digital fashion installations, introducing fresh perspectives and layers of meaning to each collection.
As curator of the Guillotine Store, Lisa brings this same instinct for collaboration to retail. She selects ethical, distinctive South African brands that complement one another, creating an interconnected world of design objects.
Through Guillotine, Lisa continues to bring design, entrepreneurship and community together. For her, fashion is an ongoing conversation between people, the environment, materials and ideas, and a space for individuality and creative exchange.
Visit the Guillotine Flagship Store at 44 Stanley
For more than 16 years, the Guillotine flagship store has been a place to discover considered design, personal style and a distinctly South African creative perspective.
The Community
A gathering place for independent designers, makers and clients, shaped by shared creativity and conversation.
The Experience
Explore our collections in person, discover new pairings and enjoy expert styling tailored to you.
Connect with Guillotine
Whether you need help with an online order, would like advice on sizing and styling, or simply want to know more about a piece, the Guillotine team is here to help.
