WHAT started off as a mother making dancing outfits for her daughter is now a fully operational business.
Elaine Vermaak (58) made her daughter, Sue-Ellen’s first dance outfit when she was seven years old.
Then, 15 years ago, Chantal Watson, owner of Wats On Dance Studio, asked Elaine to make outfits for her dance studio and Elaine soon bought industrial machines and sublimation printers.
There was no turning back and the business has boomed since those first initial orders.
The business:
“We now make sports uniforms for schools like Laerskool President Steyn, Hoërskool Dinamika, Mulbarton Remedial, Laerskool Orion and Grace Trinity. We sometimes work through the night to get everything done,” she said.
Elaine has six seamstresses and two graphic designers and they are really one mean team who works well together. “If I bring Elaine a photo of an outfit, it comes out exactly as the outfit on the photo. She just has this amazing talent and she is so kind-hearted,” said Chantal.
She also has two stores, Student School Wear and Honeydew School Wear, where she and her team makes the clothes. “My biggest thing in life is to learn more and teach more people about this so that my talent never dies. This is such an amazing career and yes we do work very hard,” Elaine told the RECORD.
The most amazing part of her job is to see the facial expressions of the children when they fit their outfits. Some of their challenges are time as they have a lot on their plate with so little time. “Some of my goals I still want to reach is to have a big business and also to be happy and successful,” she said.
They also make sportswear for marathons.
Elaine and her family:
Elaine has been married for 38 years and she has three children and two grandchildren. Her biggest inspiration is her daughter, Sue-Ellen, who was the one who inspired her to reach for her dreams. “By making all of her outfits, this became my passion,” she said.
Elaine is a long-time Albertonian and has lived in Alberton from 1980. She matriculated at Hoërskool Die Fakkel.
From Chantal:
“Sue-Ellen and her mother is my right hand,” said Chantal. Sue-Ellen started dancing with Chantal from the age of 11 and since then they have become very close. “Today we are both teachers and she is such a talented dancer and I am so grateful for her. Elaine, on the other hand, has always been there for me and I don’t think people know how much time and effort goes into making these outfits,” said Chantal.
“I want to thank these two women for being in my life and for all the support,” Chantal said.
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