It is often said that home is not a place but a feeling. A big part of what turns a house into a home are the design elements incorporated into it.
This is why 32-year-old entrepreneur, Dimakatso Dlamini, believes that curtains are an essential part of home décor and when she wasn’t satisfied with the quality of some of the curtains in the market, she decided to start her own luxury curtain brand which aims to provide the highest quality furnishing fabrics at the most competitive prices.
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Named Katso Lux Curtains, the company has an impressive range of made-to-measure luxury curtains available in a wide selection of fabrics, colours, and patterns including African prints. This Heritage month, the brand has launched a Heritage collection which include the Basotho Seshweshwe fabric, as well as Isindebele, Isizulu and Isixhosa fabrics.
The qualified Public Relations practitioner turned entrepreneur tells TRUELOVE all about Katso Lux Curtains, her entrepreneurship journey and embracing culture through home décor.
What inspired you to design luxury curtains
The idea to start Katso Lux Curtains is a God given one. I had always carried it in my spirit but kept avoiding launching it for years. Finally in 2021, with God’s help I went for it. I am one of those people who checks out your curtains when I visit your home and so often, I would be vocal about how one should go for a certain window treatment to enhance their décor. I would even purchase curtains on behalf of some of my relatives because they knew my unique and elegant taste when it came to window treatments.
Most importantly, I am in business not only to better myself but I am also passionate about contributing positively towards the growth of our country’s economy. Most people might believe that our government is solely responsible for creating job opportunities. But, I don’t believe that. With such a significant unemployment rates in the country right now, entrepreneurs also have the power to change that truth for our unemployed South African citizens. The manufacturing of curtains creates an opportunity for Katso Lux Curtains to help bridge this gap by possibly employing hundreds of our people as we grow. So, the more support we receive from our customers, the more of our people we can employ.
Please tell us more about your Heritage day collection and what inspired it.
All those close to me know how much of a patriot I am. I love South Africa. I love my people. I am proudly South African. It was a no brainer for me to add the #HeritageDay collection because we are a nation with a deep cultural wealth. We have eleven official languages spoken by people that make up the population of South Africa. It always surprised me how when you visit most people’s houses in South Africa, they have curtain fabrics that do not represent who they are. Most people have curtains made from material bought in countries that already celebrate their own heritage. The Heritage Collection was launched so that our customers looking to add the Mzansi look and feel into their homes can also get the opportunity to do so.
We are a made to measure business and that means we are not boxed to selling one-size-fits-all fabrics or designs. We have added the Basotho Seshweshwe fabric which can be used as a curtain, as well as the Isindebele, Isizulu and Isixhosa fabrics to our collection for customers who want to embrace their heritage. These fabrics can be used to create curtains in eyelet, double taped, pinch pleats, and whatever design suitable for our customer’s rail type.
Why do you think it’s important to have curtains that represent our cultures in our homes?
We are already embracing fabrics from other nations in our homes with Indian, Egyptian, and Turkish fabrics already dominant in our homes. I believe it’s time we also embrace our own and even go as far as exporting our curtains to other countries to enjoy our various cultures.
A person’s heritage, whether celebrated or not, plays a big part in who they are. It is vital to both the nation as a whole and its people that we never lose our patriotism. We should celebrate our diverse cultures every chance we get even in unique places such as curtaining.
What challenges did you face in your journey as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome those challenges?
The challenge that always stood out was the capital to exponentially grow my business. This challenge has taught me to master my craft and to continually work to find new and potential customers through various marketing strategies and to consistently strive to be incredible to the customers we already serve.
What vision do you have for Katso Lux Curtains for the next 5 years?
We are very specific in our long-term goals: growth of the company with retail shops nationwide within South Africa, employment creation for our South African citizens and prioritisation of women empowerment events and educational workshops.
