Donna Collins
If wearing African print is your thing, then the vibrant fashionable dresses, variety of handbag options and stunning beaded accessories designed by Chic D’ Afrique, should easily find their way into any woman’s closet.
One would never imagine upon seeing this high quality range on offer, that SME Juliana April together with her daughter, Lightening Hanixas, churn out stunning fashion wear and beaded jewellery from a home workshop in Swakopmund.
One would also never imagine that Juliana started this project two years ago, after she suffered an abusive relationship following a terrible divorce, and turned to bead making and craft work as a life changing therapy. She tells that she had to overcome extreme memory lapses, which she had developed as a means to block out the trauma she was going through, and once she was on her own again needed to re-programme her brain.
She began therapy based hobbies, and started the process by making beaded necklaces, which were popular amongst her friends, many of whom shared similar spousal abuse stories. And from out of nowhere her creative hobby started paying off with orders pouring in from around Namibia and bordering countries.
“The rehabilitating process of the hours spent beading has worked its magic and helped to restore my life,” says Juliana, adding she has come full circle to knowing herself again, saying no one can go through life as a broken person.
She explains she first started Chic D’ Afrique by selling her beaded accessories, as well as traditional footwear and sandals, before branching out into African infused handbags and stylishly fashionable African print dresses.
“Our line of clothing, beads, shoes and handbags are designed to enrich the culture and cross exchange of our African heritage, aimed at women looking for a way to showcase their African roots through fashion.”
Everything is hand-made, right through from the beaded necklaces strung together from carefully selected beads, to bags and shoes that are hand-stitched to give each item an intricate detailed finishing touch.
All materials and African beads she sources from countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Togo. Juliana also runs a second business which requires her to travel to east and West Africa, where she picks up different influences to create new ideas for her range. “I am currently working on an Atlantic Collection, after visiting Ghana where I picked up a lot of shells which I want to combine with shells from our own coastline, and create some unique beaded pieces with shells.”
She explains that the dresses are designed by her daughter, and they have outsourced a seamstress to sew the garments. The same lady also makes the African print clutch bags and ladies purses.
The Chic D’ Afrique range is available on their Face Book page, whilst Juliana will be frequenting the market scene at the coast this year to display her range of African range of hand-made pieces which are making waves on the fashion scene.
Swakopmund SME Juliana April displaying her Chic D’ Afrique range of beaded necklaces, African print handbags, dresses and shoes.