Carmen van der Vaart is quick to tell you that her spirit animal is a lioness which, ultimately, describes her as a person. She is strong, nurturing, courageous, resilient, and willing to face adversaries and challenges, even if she is fearful.
As an aspiring fashionista, wife, and business owner Carmen van der Vaart has high hopes for her future. The big girl in a big world is ready to tackle anything that comes her way. At 28, she is full of energy and ready to take on the world as the owner of Silta and co-owner of Catstreet, a fashion boutique in Meyersdal. For her, challenges are what motivates her. We catch up with Carmen about the love of her life, her career, and her future goals.
Loving unconditionally
It is impossible to live and not think of the things you most cherish. ‘I am a newlywed, so my husband is the first to pop into my head. If it weren’t for the Lord guiding us toward one another multiple times in our 10 years of knowing each other before getting married, I wouldn’t even have him in my life,’ said Carmen.
‘Being the busy body that I am, I love my career and that I get to build it with the support of my husband and the overarching grace and glory of God.’
She holds Proverbs 16:3 close to her heart because it reminds her to put God in charge of her work, and then what she has planned will come to pass.
In the decisions she has made, from school to university to entering the sometimes overwhelming world of adulthood, this verse has kept her close to the Lord.
‘I would not be where I am today without the love, grace, wisdom and guidance of the Lord, who works in ways I could never understand or explain. What the future of my career holds, only He knows. For a control freak like me, it is nerve-wracking, but for the dreamer in me, it is exhilarating.
‘As a little girl, we dream of what we will be one day and of our wedding day. The man I am honoured to call my husband exceeded all my expectations and prayers for a husband.’
Carmen met her husband, Dan, 11 years ago while on holiday in Margate. The two instantly connected and spent their days messaging each other and sharing their life stories.
‘He was living in Johannesburg at the time and studying at a golf school. In March 2012, we started dating and shared in each other’s greatest milestones,’ said Carmen.
In 2013, Carmen moved to Pretoria to study BCom Marketing at the University of Pretoria. ‘This put a strain on our relationship because we were in completely different places in our lives. I was studying and living the student life, he had just started working and building his career. We then broke up but always stayed in contact.’
In 2016, she did her honours in strategic brand management and still lived in Pretoria. By that time, Dan had moved back to his hometown, Newcastle, and they tried their love story again, only this time, long distance.
Dan moved to Johannesburg in 2017, and their love grew even deeper.
Carmen took a sabbatical in 2019. She walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain (130km in six days) and later met her uncle in Barcelona. She then went to Amsterdam, where she and Dan enjoyed a holiday with his family.
‘Dan and I then left for Croatia, where we set sail on a Contiki yacht adventure, sailing through the islands of Croatia. When we got to Dubrovnik, we walked the Wall of Dubrovnik, and Dan went down on one knee and proposed. We were engaged, and our forever journey had started.’
During 2020, the world was in turmoil, so the couple decided to delay their wedding date until 2022 so that Dan’s family in the UK and Carmen’s family in Australia could attend the wedding.
It was a magical day on March 19, 2022, when they became husband and wife at the Inimitable Wedding Venue in Muldersdrift.
‘Every moment was a fairy tale. My husband gave each of my bridesmaids a letter to give to me during the day, some taking me down memory lane and some having me in tears with his love declarations.
‘Walking down the aisle, I had a little surprise for my Prince Charming – a voiceover of my love declarations to him.
‘We then honeymooned in the Maldives. Our life after the wedding has had its challenges, but he is extremely supportive of my hopes, dreams and career endeavours,’ she said.
Woman in business
Carmen gravitated toward creative outlets as a child, whether it was art, the dramatic arts, or dancing. She has always been drawn to fashion, dressing up, and different styles and fabrics.
‘Even though I always dreamt of a career in the fashion industry, my career kicked off in the advertising and marketing industry.’
This led her to start the Silta Group, a marketing consulting agency that allowed her to use her skills and knowledge developed during her years in the advertising world.
Silta was only a few months old when the opportunity to enter the world of fashion arose.
‘My aunt, business partner, and fellow fashionista, Corlia Booysen, and I decided to buy the company Catstreet and take it to new heights,’ said Carmen.
Catstreet is a high-end boutique that imports exclusive collections from around the globe, ensuring your wardrobe is on trend and uniquely yours.
‘We offer more than just world-renowned brands. We offer an experience by giving each woman the personal attention she deserves to walk out and flaunt her unique style awakened by Catstreet.
‘We started by opening the store in Meyersdal on November 8, 2021. A year later, we expanded to an online store and this year we plan to open a store in the East Rand.’
‘Being able to help women of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds, to awaken their inner beauty through the power of fashion and expression, is the most satisfying of all.’
The best part of her journey so far has been to build something she is proud of.‘ After years in ad land, living a high-paced lifestyle filled with adrenaline, deadlines, and creative solutions, I decided to go on my own and start my own thing. Learning new things every day and, ultimately, being a lifelong learner.
‘I love acquiring knowledge and new skills and love the fact that my job insists on such a life. I love that I get to explore new avenues and allow my creative side to flourish by allowing myself the freedom to grow in all aspects of a company, be it finance, marketing, operational tasks, etc.’ She says she gets bored quickly, and having a fast-paced and ever-changing career is something she thoroughly enjoys.
As a fashionista, Carmen was blessed to travel to Milan, Italy, with her aunt and co-owner of Catstreet in the first year of owning the boutique. ‘Milan is one of the fashion capitals in the world, and we went there to meet with a fashion label called Twinset so that we can introduce the label to South Africa.’
You can now shop Twinset at Catstreet, the only Twinset stockist in the country.
Carmen’s mum, Irene Botha, is the biggest inspiration in her career. ‘She is a formidable businesswoman. She owns her own successful company and single-handedly built it up from the ground while being a single mother to three children.
‘She made strides in the integrated reporting industry, which was not an easy industry for a woman when she started. But she flourished in a man’s world. Her confidence, perseverance, resilience, and endless knowledge inspire me to keep going and excel.’
When asked about her plans, she replied, ‘This is a loaded question. We all dream and plan for the future, but I know that God’s plans will always prevail.’
In broad strokes, she plans to have children when the time is right and for Catstreet and Silta to thrive and become entities that let her make a difference in communities.
‘To travel the world with my loved ones and build multiple successful businesses wherever the road takes me. I leave the details of the future to the Lord.’
OFF THE CUFF
- Do you prefer food, travel or art?
Travel! That way, I get to experience the best of all three!
- What is something no one knows about you?
Even though I have a great love for clothing, my number one love in fashion is shoes, and I dream of becoming a shoe designer.
- In what clique were you in school?
I’d say I was a preppy – head cheerleader, part of any drama and dancing club the schools had to offer, and always fashion first.
- Who is your hero?
My mother. She is a successful businesswoman full of wisdom. She is a single mother of three and has a heart of gold.• Rain vs sunshine?Rain. I love the sun but hate the heat.
- What is your ultimate spoil?
Meaningful experiences. I love experiences more than tangible things.
- What do you most love about city life?
The hustle and bustle, the pace, and the business mindset of most people living the city lifestyle.
- What are your wardrobe must-haves?
A little black dress, a statement jacket, bold lip colour, stilettos, and white sneakers.
- What is your motto in life?
I have two. The one is ‘Dress for the life you want, not the life you have’ and the other is ‘Change is the only constant’.
- What is your guilty pleasure?
Shoes! I might have a shoe addiction.
- What are your pet peeves?
I have a few, so I will sum it up into one word, misophonia. I detest the oral sound of chewing, and clicking sounds, like clicking a pen and the like.
- What do you always have with you when you leave the house?
My phone. I rarely carry a handbag.
- What would you do if you won R1m tomorrow?
I would probably invest it.
Text: ELZAAN PIENAAR Photo: BARCLAY STUDIOS. Hair: JAKO STYLE BOUTIQUE. Make-up: ARTISTRY BY DYLLAN.Stylist: EVAN LENDEL FROM VONVE BRIDAL COUTURE
