MICHELLE LUDEK: PIONEERING FLATTERING, FEMININE FASHION

Capitec Merchant Michelle Ludek innovates with fashionable design pieces that are affordable, elegant, feminine and flattering through her brand outlets.

Michelle Ludek is a fashion designer with a mission – to create couture that’s affordable, elegant, feminine and flattering; and after working in some of the world’s most prestigious fashion capitals, she’s now turned her hand to building her brand across local South African outlets that are creating inspired and breath-taking designs.

After working extensively in Europe and Canada, Michelle was inspired to return home to South Africa in 2007 to set up her ready-to-wear collection, which reflects her impulsive and playful design tastes. Michelle’s inspiration comes from her love of nature, especially the South African landscape with its different textures, organic shapes and unexpectedness.

An intricate design process blends masterful designs with a creative production process, where Michelle has made her name for her innovative work across the South African fashion industry. Her designs reflect classic, sophisticated and easy-to-wear pieces – and thanks to the Michelle Ludek signature draping, each design can be worn in a different way.

Customers all over South Africa have had the chance to experience Michelle’s work; in 2014, Michelle launched her first boutique store in ‘The Watershed’ at the prestigious V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, and four years later opened her second store at The Zone in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

PARTNERING WITH CAPITEC

Michelle is a Capitec Merchant, and partnered with Capitec to power her dream.

With card machines available as mobile or desktop units, Capitec offers point-of-sale payment solutions suited to businesses ready to take their next step forward, and empowers new merchants with free access to the Capitec Merchant Portal, where they can seek assistance with transactional and settlement queries.

“I’ve been with Capitec since about 2014”, says Michelle. “When you’ve got a retail store, and you’ve got enough pressures running a business as well as rentals, (you need) any relief you can get.” With Capitec, Michelle adds that “nothing is ever an issue” – and can successfully run her business with a trusted partner onboard.

Capitec Merchants, such as Michelle, further benefit from personal aftersales service, competitive fees, free installation and training in how to manage their card machine, as well as 24/7 merchant support and free fraud-prevention training and fraud detection services.

BUILDING THE MICHELLE LUDEK BRAND

With Capitec as her partner, Michelle looks forward to growing her passion into the future. Speaking on her thoughts on fashion and her design, Michelle reflects that “fashion is such a personal journey, and it’s not something that should be forced. It could be something that came from your mom, a friend, a hand-me-down – it’s not important. What is important is – do you feel comfortable? Do you feel good? For me, if you feel great in something, and you’re comfortable, that’s what matters.”

With three key principles in mind, Michelle has cleverly built her brand. “The Michelle Ludek brand has always focused on fit, form, and function”, says Michelle. “By fit, you should be able to fit into anything of mine, your form is not what is important – it’s how that product fits on that form; and function – it has to be versatile, it has to be easy, and it has to be trusted.”

Michelle’s customers agree with her design principles – and have rewarded her with years of patronage.

“I believe it is important to support our local designers because we have so much talent in South Africa”, says Karine Dequeker, owner of Majeka House. “Michelle Ludek’s designs are very comfortable and stay elegant all the time… I’ve been buying Michell’s designs for the past 8 to 10 years”.

When asked about about what the future holds for both herself and her brand, Michelle’s answer is at the ready. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. I really, really love what I do – I’m passionate about what I do; so it comes easily for me, because that passion is there. I’m hoping my creative energy remains that I’m blessed that I’m able to create newness and freshness, that I listen to my clients, and that I’m relevant to my clients”, she concludes.

To learn more about the benefits of being a Capitec Merchant, visit the official Capitec website here.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE LUDEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA & HER WEBSITE

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