Tough times for businesses
NORWOOD – For an experienced local designer, being creative has been key in survival.
A local entrepreneur shared how she has had to make ends meet during the lockdown.
Chantal Abro is a bridal stylist and designer who runs Chantal Couture at a studio in Norwood. Abro who has been sewing for 35 years and been in the area for 18 years, said she was thankful that Covid-19 came with masks.
“If Covid-19 didn’t come with a mask, I don’t know how many jobs would have been lost. Designers and interior decorators resorted to making beautiful masks. We have done printed, laced and beaded masks that have been exported to countries overseas. That is how I survived and that has saved a lot of jobs,” Abro added.
She said these were tough times for businesses such as hers in the wedding industry, both in South Africa and worldwide.
“My brides are having to reschedule their weddings, some of them three, four times because of lockdown or a family member would be diagnosed with Covid-19. We therefore have to be better, stand out and just make the most beautiful dresses.”
The experienced designer shared her portfolio of some famous personalities she had dressed who included late Nelson Mandela’s oldest daughter and Walter Sisulu’s granddaughter. She had also designed for local soapie weddings and featured on lifestyle TV programme Top Billing three times.
Abro has also trained and taught many other young women to sew and they have gone on to run their own businesses. “For me it’s important in a business that we have a ‘family relationship’. I always say to the sewing ladies I work with, ‘I am not your boss, the customer is your boss’ and we are here at the service of our customer, bride or whoever we’re making a dress for.
“Our job is very important because if you make the bride happy, everyone around her is happy and vice versa. It’s very important that her vision comes to life. I have to bring a bride’s vision of her wedding day to life by working with themes, and her personality. I am almost like a psychologist.”
Abro who studied at Central Saint Martins in London said in her many years of working she had learnt from trial and error as well as followed fashion trends. “Every dress has to be made to perfection, it’s a creation, a look of art, wearable if you may. Working in a garden studio like this, with flowers and roses all over the place, you get inspired by nature. The design is organic, natural and it flows.”
The studio also rents out dresses to help clients save money.
Details: chantalcouturestudio@gmail.com ; 083 602 0822
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