POLOKWANE – Self-taught fashion designer, artist and stylist, Mapula Julia Takala says working in the fashion industry is her calling.
The 24-year-old fashionista told BONUS that she loved to dress up her dolls, plait their hair and make them beautiful as a young girl. “I didn’t realise then that this was going to be my career, it was just fun. As I grew up, my passion for making people beautiful progressed. I love to spruce people up and enhance their looks. At first I thought it was just a hobby, but my passion grew and I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I saw a business opportunity,” she said.
Mapula says she always knew that a nine-to-five job was not for her and she aspired to be her own boss. She created ‘Juleve’, an ethical and fashion-based women’s wear brand of attainable, timeless and handmade luxury pieces. “Juleve is a combination of my English name, Julia, and my mother’s name, Eve, which we have come to define as “confidence personified”. Juleve’s essence is based on encouraging women to confidently express themselves without apology. We create clothing for women of all shapes and sizes who honour and celebrate femininity in all its aspects,” she explained.
Despite wanting to study business management, the Mankweng resident opted for a bachelor of arts in communication at the University of Limpopo from which she graduated in 2019. “I hope to dress every body-type, big and small. My motto is to personify confidence through clothes. I want women to feel comfortable in their own bodies and I want them to own up to their own definition of beauty, not the notion the world has created. According to the Juleve brand, every woman is beautiful and our duty is to bring those diverse beauties into the light.”
Mapula’s greatest fashion inspiration is Coco Chanel because she loves how the brand constantly evolves and showcases Chanel’s unique view of what fashion is. “My goal is to transform the world of fashion, starting with the idea of what beauty is and create the confidence that exudes from knowing and accepting who you are and how you look. At Juleve there’s no wrong or right. At Juleve every woman owns their truth, and that’s what we strive for,” she added.
