Lookbook

Name

Lookbook

Legal name

LOOKBOOK (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://lookbookstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Content Studio & Design Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (51313), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Home, Garden & DIY Magazines (MPAJAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH), Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF), Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH)

Keywords

• Creative production services
• Design media publishing
• Editorial content creation
• Homeware fashion photography
• Brand content studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Magazine Publishing: Quarterly print publication House and Leisure generates revenue through magazine sales and subscriptions. The magazine is described as iconic and has been relaunched under LOOKBOOK's management.
2. Creative Services: B2B services including creative direction, photography, styling, copywriting, content creation, full production for homeware, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands. Also includes video production, editorial shoots, exhibition design, and brand consulting.
3. E-commerce / Shop the Look: Curated product roundups featured in House and Leisure editions, allowing readers to shop products that invite colour and style into their spaces. Revenue through affiliate/referral relationships with brands.
4. Specialty Publications: Creation of bespoke newspapers like The Art Paper and Dog and Leisure, as well as custom books and publications for clients and partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lookbook operates a creative content studio and independent media company that publishes design-focused magazines and journals (House and Leisure, LOOKBOOK Journal, Dog and Leisure) while delivering B2B creative production services including creative direction, photography, styling, copywriting, video production, exhibition design, and book publishing for homeware, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands.

Product overview

Lookbook operates as a creative content studio and independent media company offering a portfolio of publishing products and professional creative services. The core publishing products include the digital-first LOOKBOOK Journal (with editions such as Journal 01: The Eye, Journal 02: The Lemon, Journal 03: The Gallery, Journal 04: The Map) and the print magazine House and Leisure (quarterly themed volumes including Volume 21: Roam, Volume 20: Curate). Supporting publications include Dog and Leisure, a free companion supplement to House and Leisure. The studio also provides a suite of professional creative services spanning video production, editorial and campaign shoots, exhibition and activation design, newspaper publishing, experience design, style guide development, window display design, and book publishing. The platform features Shop the Look, a curated product directory organized by House and Leisure edition themes, and has launched capsule collections like The Eye Collection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• House and Leisure: Quarterly decor and design publication that celebrates effortless living, a sense of place, and the mood evoked by homes and surrounds.
• Dog and Leisure
• LOOKBOOK Journal

Products and services

• House and Leisure Magazine Quarterly print publication celebrating effortless living, decor, and design with a sense of place, targeted at design-conscious consumers in Southern Africa.
• LOOKBOOK Journal Digital-first publication featuring curated visual stories, journals, and content exploring decor and design themes for design-lovers globally.
• Dog and Leisure Free companion publication to House and Leisure featuring pet-friendly getaways, stories, and dog decor inspired by seasonal themes.
• Creative Production Services End-to-end creative production services including creative direction, photography, styling, copywriting, video production, editorial and campaign shoots, exhibition and activation design, book publishing, and style guide development for homeware, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands.
• The Eye Collection First LOOKBOOK capsule collection complementing Journal 00, featuring curated arrangements of local tableware and decor handpicked by the editor.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• V&A WatershedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025V&A Watershed serves as a proud sponsor of Design Week South Africa 2025. The hub brings together 300 small creative businesses and provides exhibition and event space for design activations during Design Week South Africa.
• Design Week South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Week South Africa is a curated calendar of events showcasing the future of South African design. Margot Molyneux, who serves as Managing Editor of House and Leisure and General Manager at LOOKBOOK Studio, founded Design Week South Africa. This partnership positions LOOKBOOK at the center of South Africa's design conversation and provides a platform for showcasing local creative talent.
• MonocleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLOOKBOOK Studio's Editor-in-Chief Charl Francois Edwards appears on Monocle's The Stack podcast, discussing print media and design topics with podcast host Fernando Pacheco. This cross-promotion reaches Monocle's global design-conscious audience.
• BabylonstorenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a client/collaborator in the LOOKBOOK network. Babylonstoren is a wine farm and destination in the Cape Winelands featured in editorial content and potentially collaborates on creative projects.
• WeylandtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a client/collaborator. Weylandts is a globally African lifestyle brand featuring in House and Leisure editorial content and the Shop the Look feature.
• Plain TigerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlain Tiger is an eco-conscious online retailer featured in the Bloom Collection collaboration with House and Leisure, creating exclusive content for the publication.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kinfolk: Independent lifestyle and design publication with branded content, creative collaborations and e-commerce; closely mirrors LOOKBOOK's mix of print magazine, digital journal, shop and creative studio.
• Monocle: Global media brand covering design, culture and print publishing, with retail, agency-style services and a broadcast/podcast arm; directly comparable to LOOKBOOK as a curated lifestyle/design publication with diversified commercial extensions.
• IDEAT: European design, interiors and lifestyle magazine with brand activations and shop extensions; comparable independent design publisher that combines editorial credibility with commercial brand experiences.
• Cereal Magazine: Independent design and lifestyle publication with curated editorial, brand partnerships and a shop; comparable as a small, design-led independent publisher with a similar aesthetic and brand-collaboration model to LOOKBOOK.
• Apartamento Magazine: Independent interiors and design magazine known for its curated editorial voice and brand collaborations; a near-direct peer in scale, geography-independence and design-niche positioning to LOOKBOOK.

Broad incumbents

• Wallpaper*: Established global design, architecture and lifestyle magazine with extensive brand partnerships; comparable as a higher-scale design-media incumbent competing for the same premium brand-client and design-conscious audience.
• Dwell Media: Multi-channel architecture and design media brand covering print, digital and branded content; comparable as a larger design-media incumbent with an integrated creative/content offering.
• Elle Decor: Global interiors and design magazine from Hearst; comparable as a mass-scale design-media incumbent targeting the same premium homeware and lifestyle advertisers LOOKBOOK courts.
• Architectural Digest: Condé Nast's global interiors, design and architecture title with international reach; relevant incumbent competitor for premium homeware/fashion brand advertising spend that LOOKBOOK also targets.

Regional players

• Wanted (Cape Media): South African luxury and design lifestyle magazine covering decor, fashion and travel; a directly competing regional peer serving the same Cape Town and broader South African premium-brand and design-conscious audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hellolookbook
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lookbookstudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelookbook
• Pinterestza.pinterest.com/lookbookstudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lookbook