The premium lifestyle brand opens its doors at Canal Walk Shopping Centre today, with Menlyn and Mall of the North to follow — cementing South Africa’s place on the global Psycho Bunny map.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — 24 June 2026 — Premium lifestyle brand Psycho Bunny today opens its doors at Canal Walk Shopping Centre, its fourth South African store in under two years. What started as a conviction — that South African consumers were ready for a brand that blended irreverent design with genuine premium quality — has become one of the most exciting retail growth stories in the country.
Since November 2024, Tarryn and Richard Epstein have grown Psycho Bunny from a single store at Sandton City to a six-store national network, with more than 50 employees and a footprint spanning Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban — with Pretoria and Polokwane still to open.
THE FOUNDERS: A SHARED VISION, A LONG RUNWAY
Tarryn Epstein, Managing Director of Slimsuit Distributors (Pty) Ltd and Director of ARTI Holdings, has spent her career in retail — progressing from the shop floor through store and field management before building a multi-brand retail group alongside her husband and business partner, Richard Epstein. Together, they hold the exclusive South African distribution rights for Psycho Bunny, the New York-born brand known for its bold rabbit-and-crossbones logo, exceptional fabrication, and a loyal international following that spans fashion insiders and everyday style enthusiasts alike.
“We had watched Psycho Bunny build a near cult-like following internationally and we believed South African consumers — who are discerning, brand-aware, and hungry for newness — deserved access to it,” says Richard Epstein. “The quality speaks for itself. Once someone wears a Psycho Bunny polo, they come back. That was the signal for us to keep opening stores.”
SIX STORES IN UNDER TWO YEARS
The Epsteins’ rollout has been both deliberate and rapid. Each new location has been chosen based on customer demand, foot traffic data, and the brand’s performance at existing stores:
- November 2024 — Sandton City, Johannesburg (flagship launch)
- October 2025 — V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
- June 2026 — Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Durban
- 24 June 2026 — Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Cape Town (opens today)
- 1 August 2026 — Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria (upcoming)
- 1 September 2026 — Mall of the North, Polokwane (upcoming)
The data behind the expansion is compelling. Consumer response at each existing store provided the clearest signal: repeat purchase rates, growing basket sizes, and organic word-of-mouth drove the Epsteins’ decision to accelerate.
BEYOND MENSWEAR: A BRAND FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
While Psycho Bunny built its reputation in premium menswear, the South African offering has grown to reflect the full breadth of the brand. Womenswear launched at the end of 2025, bringing the label’s signature quality and aesthetic to a new audience. Childrenswear, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most exciting categories in the portfolio — already accounting for 20% of total turnover and representing significant ongoing growth.
“The response to kidswear has exceeded every expectation,” says Tarryn Epstein. “Parents who discover the brand through their own wardrobe want to dress their children in it too. It has become a genuine family brand in South Africa, and that’s a very exciting place to be.”
CREATING OPPORTUNITY: 50 JOBS AND COUNTING
The Psycho Bunny expansion has created more than 50 jobs across South Africa to date, with further roles coming as Menlyn and Mall of the North open later this year. For Tarryn Epstein, this dimension of the business is as important as the commercial story.
“Retail is a people business. Every store we open is a team of individuals we’re investing in, training, and growing,” she says. “We encourage everyone to come in, experience the brand, and see for themselves why Psycho Bunny has earned such a devoted following around the world — and increasingly, right here at home.”
For the Epsteins, that investment begins with who they bring on board — and the culture they are deliberately building around the brand.
“We are building a team as bold and brilliant as the brand itself — and that is not something we take lightly,” adds Tarryn Epstein. “Psycho Bunny attracts a certain kind of person: someone with infectious energy, genuine enthusiasm, and the kind of personality that lights up a room the moment they walk in.
We don’t just sell premium product; we create an experience, and that experience lives or dies with the people behind it. Skills can be taught, but the boldness, the brightness, the unapologetic excitement for what this brand stands for — that’s who Psycho Bunny people are. We are intentional about the culture we build, because a formidable brand deserves a formidable team, and we are determined to build one of the most exciting retail teams in South Africa.”
“Premium brands earn their place by delivering on every promise, every time,” says Richard Epstein. “Psycho Bunny does that — and our job is to make sure every South African who values quality, craft, and originality knows this brand by name. That’s what a power brand looks like, and that’s exactly what we’re building.”
ABOUT PSYCHO BUNNY SOUTH AFRICA
Psycho Bunny is a New York-born premium lifestyle brand known for its bold rabbit-and-crossbones logo, distinctive fabrication, and a devoted international following. Psycho Bunny South Africa is operated by ARTI Holdings under the exclusive South African distribution rights held by Tarryn and Richard Epstein.
The brand currently trades from four stores nationally — expanding to six by September 2026 — and online. Womenswear and childrenswear are stocked alongside the core menswear collection. For more information, visit www.psychobunnyza.com.
