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as I felt beautiful. It was loads of fun<br />
to make my own dress and I had a<br />
fairytale wedding.’<br />
What made her day even more special<br />
was her mother wearing one of her<br />
dresses. She describes her mother<br />
as a 'plain <strong>Jan</strong>e', though she looked<br />
spectacular on Shené’s wedding day.<br />
‘Anyone can make a beautiful dress,<br />
but what matters most is how it makes<br />
that person feel. I know the dress I<br />
made for her meant a lot to both of us<br />
and that’s why it’s my favourite dress<br />
I’ve ever made.’<br />
She sees herself as being privileged in<br />
every aspect of her life. From the very<br />
start of her career, her parents have<br />
supported her by helping her study<br />
and start her business.<br />
‘I would not have come this far in my<br />
career at such a young age without<br />
their emotional and financial support. I<br />
love them to bits.’<br />
She has also done her fair share of<br />
modelling and we have to admit, she<br />
has the face for it. As soon as she got<br />
comfortable in front of the camera,<br />
she got involved with Reflekt Model<br />
Management where she shares her<br />
knowledge and judges competitions.<br />
‘With one foot in the fashion industry<br />
and the other in modelling, I also got<br />
the opportunity to design outfits for<br />
Top Model South Africa which was<br />
very good exposure for me and<br />
my business.’<br />
In 2017, she appeared on the television<br />
screens of many South Africans<br />
during the first TV-series of kykNET’s<br />
Sarie Voorbladgesig. It was the fourth<br />
time Shené entered the competition<br />
and she made it to the Top 10. It was<br />
also the first time the competition<br />
was broadcast on TV, and although<br />
she didn't win, she learned a lot<br />
about herself.<br />
‘Seeing yourself on TV makes you<br />
realise how other people see you<br />
and in my case, it was a very good<br />
thing. It was very inspiring and<br />
empowering, because the show sent<br />
the message that anyone can look<br />
fabulous when their hair and makeup<br />
are professionally done. The whole<br />
experience made me a stronger<br />
woman and I’ll do it again any time.’<br />
Shené is one of the few people we<br />
have ever met that looks just as good<br />
barefoot as in glamorous heels. She<br />
calls herself a flower child, not only<br />
because she is obsessed with pretty<br />
Shené’s gorgeous wedding dress.<br />
Image: Celeste Cilliers Photography.<br />
floral patterns, but because she also<br />
loves to get her hands dirty.<br />
‘I have green fingers, so I unwind by<br />
taking a walk through the garden or<br />
even doing a bit of gardening. I share<br />
my garden and home with my Bengal<br />
kitten and handsome hubby. After a<br />
year of married life, I can say that it<br />
is not what I expected at all, but I<br />
enjoy every second of sharing my life<br />
with him.’<br />
Her husband says she looks like Nigella<br />
Lawson and ironically, she is just as<br />
good a cook ... ‘I love hosting people<br />
in our home. We make enough food<br />
for an army and it’s usually Pinterestinspired<br />
meals. Our friends and family<br />
usually come and stay over for a whole<br />
weekend because they don’t want to<br />
miss out on any of the food.’<br />
Shené might be down to earth, but<br />
she adds a bit of sparkle to everyone’s<br />
day, especially her clients. A lot of<br />
Snippets:<br />
What is #1 on your bucket<br />
list? A month-long vacation<br />
without my phone.<br />
What is your biggest fear?<br />
Dying without leaving<br />
a legacy.<br />
What is the biggest life<br />
lesson you’ve learned?<br />
Always be kind because<br />
you don’t know what<br />
people are going through.<br />
Who do you want to design<br />
an outfit for? The iconic<br />
and fabulous Nataniël …<br />
people have specific career goals but<br />
Shené just wants to do what she loves<br />
and help people through it. She says<br />
that her career is an extension of her<br />
personality and as long as she can<br />
keep on creating beautiful dresses for<br />
special women, she’ll be happy.<br />
‘Yes, creating dresses for my favourite<br />
celebrities would be exciting but<br />
being a designer is much more than<br />
that. I work with a lot of women and<br />
they share a lot with me. Self-esteem<br />
plays a big role in any woman’s life<br />
and I believe that the world would<br />
be a better place if we all gave<br />
ourselves a break. For me, success is<br />
building relationships with my clients,<br />
contributing to their special days and<br />
helping them build their self-esteem<br />
by just being a friend to them.’<br />
Details: www.shenevyvercouture.com<br />
or follow her on Facebook, 'Shené<br />
Vyver Couture'.<br />
DEC/JAN <strong>2019</strong> - <strong>2020</strong> Get It Joburg <strong>West</strong> 15
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