FASH MAG JULY28

about the dynamic young woman who’s singlehandedly
developing her brand and growing her
own business.
“My dream was always just to be financially
stable because we lived a life where we were one
paycheck from the poverty line,'' says Stevens.
“Bigger than this, I longed for something that
I wasn’t even sure existed at the time. I wanted to
be a business owner. Getting there seemed nearly
impossible, as after I finished my BA degree in
live performance at AFDA private university, the
only opportunities I received were either in the
retail or customer service industries.”
In 2017, she moved to South Korea, with her
mind set on gathering a good amount of capital
to start a business in fashion driven by her
passion for the industry.
“It was only in 2020, with the start of Covid,
that I gathered myself and did some introspection
about what I want my next chapter to be, and
that’s when I started my business,” says Stevens.
She adds that she’s always had a great love for
accessories.
“I was the friend who was always overaccessorised.
I remember friends always
mentioning to me that I was the only one they
knew who could get away with wearing so much
jewellery and still make it look fashionable.”
On arriving at the name “Coloured
Accessories”, she explains, “I feel like coloured
people who come from what some would call the
’slums of the Cape Flats’ lack representation.
“We are the ones who are always in the news
as crime statistics – both the perpetrators and
the victims; always with our four front teeth out.
Although there are rare occasions that we break
the mould, it never seems to be enough to shake
the stereotype. I want to be a representative of
where I come from and at the same time celebrate
what being coloured means to me.
“I wanted to create a brand for people like
me and for those who come from where I come
from and who speak the way we do. A brand of
our own. That we can feel like it’s a part of us
and hopefully make us feel great about being
coloured.”
Stevens says that she has the most fun when
coming up with the names like “ma se kind”,
“yassi” and “hoe lykit”.
“I would reminisce on the silly conversations
I’d have back home and when I was in high
school, words that were commonly used in my
youth, and just classic Afrikaans sayings that I use
up until this day. It’s also another way to keep
coloured culture within the brand.
“Even though there is so much of the coloured
culture integrated into the brand, it’s not done
this way to be exclusive; it’s more of an invitation
to join me in the celebration of who I see
myself as in the world. The brand is for any and
everyone who likes to stay authentic.”
Stevens is a one-woman operation running all
aspects of the business, from the online store to
social media and marketing.
“The funny memes, the poems, funny
branding, the shares and the responses are all me,
and this is why it brings me so much joy to see
how well it has been received thus far. It’s just
another way of confirming that I am on the right
track.”
To find out more about the brand and shop the
looks go to: www.colouredaccessories.com