“The joy of dressing is an art.” John Galliano

As a housewife with a passion for fashion for almost 30 years, Mariam Desai had always sewn her own dresses, with people stopping her in the street to compliment her; so after her children

had grown up, she decided to actively pursue this passion and share her vision. Starting with a bespoke collection of kimonos, without patterns, she grew the brand to employing a seamstress and acquiring two sewing machines, and started operating out of her garage.

With customer service as key, the Cherrie Couture experience is a holistic one, designed to suit the clientele. As Mariam operates from home, she is able to see clients before work, or in the evenings,

making fittings convenient. Her studio is stocked with an array of accessories so that she is able to style clients from head to toe, from scarves to shoes to earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

                                                   Mariam - Cherrie Couture

For Mariam, fashion is an exploration of everyday clothing. Her personal interpretation of fashion takes her clients out of their comfort zones; and her aim is to show that modesty can be fashionable. She is passionate about style and making women feel confident, and with a penchant for people and fashion, she believes that it’s not about what you wear, but how you wear it.

She is driven by the continuous compliments that come from her clients and their partners, children, friends and family. In the Muslim community, there are a host of young up and coming designers, which encourages Mariam and her team to always be on top of their game, as the competition is fierce and growing daily.

When Mariam is not designing, she is planning the weddings of both of her children, taking place four weeks apart, so any additional free time she has, she devotes to her family.

The concept of Cherrie Couture was born in Mariam’s kitchen, whilst she was making dinner; and she decided to use her daughter’s nickname ‘Cherrie’ to start her fashion label.

The Cherrie Couture Collection showcasing at Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek Cape Town 2017, will feature Couture dresses and signature styles that Mariam is known for.

It is a celebration of fashionable modest wear, and we look forward to a cultural collection, that is both fashionable and trendy with Cherrie Couture at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town 2017 taking place from the 23rd-25th March.

Follow AFI on Twitter and Instagram: @afi_sa for constant Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town updates as well as show schedules and ticket information.

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Follow @maccosmetics and @ghd_southafrica to get the #MBFWCT17 looks locked down.