POLOKWANE – The 26-year-old is the founder of Aprons by Charmaine and she tailor makes stylish aprons for every body type and size. The civil engineering graduate explained that she couldn’t find work after graduating but little did she know that fate had other plans for her.
Charmaine’s mother used to be a seamstress and she gave her a cloth to create something for herself.
“I couldn’t visualise anything to make with the material until an idea to make an apron struck me. I used that material to make three aprons, for myself, my mother and my sister. When I showed my apron to my neighbour she wanted to buy it and thus the idea for the business was born,” she shared.
Her aprons are 100% cotton and they are made with love. “Each apron is given enough attention to ensure that it meets the client’s expectations. Neatness is one of the things that runs my business, I put all my focus and attention into making sure that every apron is neat,” she said.
She used to make one size fits all aprons but she now makes them custom fit. She also makes traditional inspired aprons, tailored to how the client wants it.
Charmaine shared that she has no plans of stopping to make aprons even if she finds employment in her field of study, because from sewing aprons, she managed to do three courses to better equip herself to grow her business. Through the business, she also started a non-profit organisation called ‘Xandla famba’ which translates to a hand that gives in Xitsonga.
She has done sanitary pad drives across the province and has donated more than 5 000 packets to more than 40 schools. She also donates school uniforms to communities in need.
A year from now, her plan is to have her own shop and have her aprons sold in retail stores. She can be found at ApronsbyCharmaine on all social media platforms.
