Of late, Brenda’s designs have taken on a new maturity, elegance and a certain something, which is hard to define. She has never considered herself a ’cutting edge designer’ in that she goes for wild and wacky, she designs for ’real women’ and her goal is to make them look breathtaking. She plays with colour and has a soft feminine touch, her aim - to make women feel special even if they consider their ’hips are too big’, ’they are too short’, etc; etc; “I believe the strongest fashion statement any woman can make is expressing individuality. Boldness comes in many forms, bold commitment to your’own’ look, which you feel comfortable in breeds confidence. Rather have a few outfits, which you feel sensational in than a wardrobe full of not you” she says with conviction.
Brenda is in the process of re-naming her Catz Design stores already the Hillcrest outlet is trading under the name of Diva. “Why?” I asked when I managed to pin her down for a coffee break.
“My designs have evolved, when I began I concentrated on working wardrobes and wedding dresses. I have expanded tremendously, I still do the working wardrobes of course, but now I also feature casual clothing, evening, matric and formal wear as well as accessories including shoes. I felt a name change necessary and Diva seemed to fit, all women are Diva’s and I don’t mean that in the negative connotations. Rather that all women are unique and have special qualities, my designs reflects that, which is why my designs will now carry the Diva label. Naturally it followed that the retail outlets should also be changed to Diva.”
While Brenda designs with the ’real woman’ in mind, plenty of the ’glamour icons’ clamber for her label. She has dressed many a Miss South Africa, Model of the Year, Miss Teen Africa and Business Women of the Year contestants and they continue to come back for more after the events.
Diva is also a favourite store for those looking for the perfect matric dance dress in fact one of the most unique aspects of the retail stores is the age range they cater for. It is a store when mothers and daughters can both find the ideal outfit, this has not happened by accident, Brenda spends a great deal of time researching the needs of all ages and she adapts her designs to suit. It is perhaps this attention to detail, which won the Diva store Best Stand at the ICC Fashion Sale, linked to the Durban Fashion Week last year.
During the last year Brenda has also found it necessary to expand her factory, she now has two! The original team (who have been with her for years) concentrate on the Haute Couture and the Durban based team on the Prêt-porter, which is now also sold though other boutiques around the country as well as through Brenda’s own outlets. Recently, she has been approached by a UK boutique and Brenda is currently investigating exporting certain ranges.
Brenda Quin is the epitome of …”if you want something done, give it to a busy person.”
An average day for Brenda begins at 5am, she will then stop whatever she is doing at 6pm and spend quality family time until about 9pm. Then when most people are thinking of ’turning in,’ she will work on her designs, sometimes until 1pm. Yet every day she is bright and breezy!
Article by Terik |
