Windhoek
Young and striving jewelleries designer, Petrina Ndapanda Mathews, says she wants to grow her jewellery’s business into an empire. Pinehas Nakaziko recently witnessed her breath-taking creations during the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) first ever fashion show.
Mathews, who refers to and describes herself as the Jeweller, came into the jewelleries limelight when she impressed guests during the first ever Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) student fashion show, held at the NUST Basement last Friday, where and when she showcased her multiple of jewelleries and bracelets with an African traditional imprint. “I am a jewelleries designer, with a love and passion for jewelleries. I am one that likes taking chances and discovering different things” says she adding that the idea started as a joke, doing just for fun to make herself look good and different. “I never really like the idea of fitting in, but all the jewelleries I found did not allow me to standout. So I decided to put in and practice the gift and knowledge of jewellery designing that I had in practice to make sure that all those living by the same principle, and wanted to accessorise their outfits, had just what they were looking for and did not have to struggle,” she says.
The Logistic and Supply Chain Management student at NUST developed a passion for jewelleries designing at a very young age inspired by her grandmother. “My grandmother use to do her own traditional neckpieces, as she did hers I would sit and learn from her, taking all the beads she was not using and making bracelets. As I grew up, I would redesign most of the jewelleries that I got or bought. In my final years of high schools, I started designing earrings and bracelets for my friends and class mates, and today I do it on a daily basis,” says Mathews. She uses beads, cotton materials and a touch of chains. “Recently I have also tried out recycled materials such as newspapers, cans, bones, to mention some, which goes well and I am planning to use more of it in some of my pieces,” she says.
The theme of her artworks is “You are unique, combined fashion and tradition, stand out.” She came with this theme as a result of trying to connect fashion lovers to tradition. “It is a thing that most people want to look nice but are not allowing themselves to standout,” explains Mathews. This year she is planning hosting her first solo exhibition, where she will be showcasing her latest artworks of unique jewelleries. “On my first exhibition, I want it to be an event on the calendar, where all those that come will leave with a greater picture of what they want, with a better understanding of fashion and tradition combined. I want it to be an event where fashion lovers can connect and be at the same level of understanding through my jewellery,” determines Mathews.
Currently she has her own jewellery business that she started in 2014 targetting everyone with a need for jewelleries, ladies and gentlemen, youth to the elderly.