Phoenix Rising: Celebrating Resilience and Evolution

021FOCUS:

This week I attended a women’s empowerment brunch hosted by entrepreneurs Rushda Behardien from Rubereloaded and Aaliah Allies from A Sense of Style and was uplifted while indulging in some treats.

The beautiful Kasavana Beach House welcomed us with wind and the sounds of ocean waves crashing beyond the patio. Bringing an Italian villa feel to the event, we are welcomed to a room of elegance and opulence. White chairs decked in beautiful ribbons, I giggle to myself as I had unknowingly chosen a dress that matched the color scheme.

The collaboration between Rushda Behardien from Rubereloaded (formerly RubesCloset) and Aaliah Allies from A Sense of Style brings together elegance and class. While offering a morning of inspiration to those in attendance, the event was sure to provide a morning of respite from mundane errands. Having hosted the event annually starting about 8 years ago, they hit a roadblock during the COVID-19 pandemic and were forced to postpone for a bit. Thus making the theme of, the phoenix rising, ever so pertinent.

The event was opened up by Sam Petersen, who eloquently describes herself as a changemaker and solopreneur who envisioned a life of being the keeper of her own time. She also stressed the importance of building community through living the values of Ubuntu as the creator of an initiative that brings together small businesses by providing them with an opportunity to showcase their products at an open market space.

This was then followed by a passionate talk by Fazila Cariem, the author of “Her Peace at War”, a fictional writing loosely based on her life growing up in Cape Town. Her story is written as a reflective piece that tackles some deep-rooted issues within the Coloured Community, her writing work has proven to be a catharsis in that it has allowed her to break free from generational trauma while opening up the conversation within her community for those who never had a voice of their own. Taking control of your own mind and owning your self-empowerment are truly words to live by.

During the break we were treated to an amazing brunch catered by Shanaaz Guentin with beautiful mocktails by Funky Lemon Drinks, everything was delicately presented and every morsel was tastier than the last one.

Nasreen Cariem then spoke to us about the importance of Mental Health and seeking help when we can no longer manage on our own. As the topic is considered quite taboo, she helped break the stigma on how to deal with daily anxiety issues as well as establishing boundaries where needed.

Lastly, Aalia brought her Spring Collection to end off the event with a beautiful showcase of her current designs. Designed to fit everybody, her designs are tailor-made for every woman to feel as beautiful as she looks. With light fabrics in beautiful designs and cuts, we were mesmerized by the classy display. My personal favourite is the waistcoat with black tailored pants, a classic pairing.