It's about the EXPERIENCE

Story - Anne Schauffer

NEVILLE ARMITAGE IS ARMITAGE MEN’S OUTFITTERS IN UMHLANGA. IT’S A GLORIOUS MENS’ RETAIL AND EXPERIENTIAL SPACE WITH A PERSONALITY TO MATCH ITS LOOKS – INTERNATIONALLY INSPIRED, LOCALLY SHAPED, NEVILLE HAS DESIGNED IT FOR THE DISCERNING MAN WHO WANTS BETTER

Faint strains of Coltrane, a hint of a fragrance, and a slight aroma of good coffee – that sense of pressing pause as you step over the threshold, and exhale. Melodramatic? No. Armitage is the antithesis of melodrama. Neville Armitage created this distinctly masculine retail and experiential space with measured, deliberate intent, and all the niches, players and merchandise within that space, are party to that vision.

From the muted jazzy playlist to the calming sense of order, Armitage’s is a wonderful story of Africa meets the world. International brands rub shoulders with local, and a single thread runs through everything – quality. For as long as Neville can remember, he’s been concerned about over-consumption, the rate at which people dispose of things. For him, that translated into buying less, but always quality. And furthermore, he says, “You can’t bargain things right down if you think about the source. Buy fewer things, things that will last …”

Neville’s relationship with merchandise began at his after-school job, with the seemingly unglamorous role of opening boxes of apparel. But what he clearly recalls, is anticipation of the next box’s contents, and curiosity as to the person who’d chosen these items. He spent three years at Durban University of Technology studying Clothing Production, and followed it up with an Honours Degree in Bachelor of Commerce. Why commerce? Strangely, he’d always loved accounting over anything else. Still does. In the industry, he was viewed as something of an anomaly – someone who could sit behind an industrial sewing machine making a full tailored suit, but who would far rather choose to spend an afternoon with spreadsheets and numbers.

From years in clothing factories, to many more as a buyer of menswear, homeware and finally furniture, Neville travelled extensively to London, New York, you name it. He had a very clear sense of what his market wanted … but all the while, kept one firm eye on the numbers. He was highly successful.

He laughingly admits to being a control freak: “I’ve always known from a youngster, that I was fully in control of things.” Which, in this arena, is undoubtedly an attribute: “I was very, very neat with a ruler and pencil and measurements down to the millimetre.” From making covered buttons, to the stitch count, quality of a garment and putting in a zip, his knowledge of every aspect of a garment and the marks of true quality, has stood him in great stead for his own brand.

For Neville, this space is not only the realisation of a long-held dream, it’s the sum of so many parts … the best of the best that he’s teased out of all corners of the globe. He’s hand-picked the elements, and curated them so enticingly, it’s impossible to walk on by. Thing is, Neville spent most of his career in and around the world of buying, but always for others. Now, the absolute joy for him at Armitage is that he selects and designs everything for himself. He is his clientele. Those who step into Armitage are, in a sense, reflections of Neville. They love what he loves.

But it’s not just quality of merchandise, it’s the people, too. Neville invests in his team. He didn’t simply want an extraordinary retail store, he wanted to provide an experience and a convenience. He’s surrounded himself with the finest craftsmen. Drop off your dry cleaning – as so many do – Mr Draycott will sort it. He’s a master drycleaner with 50 years of experience. Need tailoring? Meet Armitage’s on-site tailor. Neville shakes his head, “He’s a brilliant craftsman. I’ve only ever seen tailoring like that on my international travels.”

You’ll find two barbers here. They’re craftsmen Neville would choose for himself: “Gentle, no fuss, just the right spirit comes through. No matter how busy, everyone gets the time and attention they need.”

Very important to Neville, is training up unemployed youth: “Sbonelo was a housekeeper. I trained him on the leather care. He learnt fast, then I asked what he wanted to do – tailoring or barbering? Within three months, Sbonelo had mastered barbering skills. We use a straight blade here, so it’s not simple. Now he has a skill he can take anywhere.”

High up on the double volume wall as you enter Armitage Outfitters, are two framed photographs of Africanis dogs by Daniel Naude. They’re exquisite, but more than that, they’re the embodiment of the Armitage brand. The logo. Their iconic African-ness is an integral part of what Neville is constantly striving for. The store has a strong sense of the best of Africa, right down to his house brand, Armitage – overseas fabrics, but locally manufactured. Wherever possible, Africa is the first source, but alongside local, is a premium range of international brands cherry picked by Neville. As he says, “So many heritage brands with great stories.” Armitage is truly an African story which Neville Armitage is telling so well.