About

Hello and thank you for stopping by. My name is Charmaine and I identify as a proud WOC (woman of colour) with a disability.

I was born in bewitching Cape Town (South Africa) pre the dismantling of apartheid during which time segregation between ALL people of colour was the norm. Contrary to belief, POC were deliberately separated under the divisive apartheid laws of ‘divide and rule’. In 1980, I had had enough of this humiliating governance so I bought myself a one-way ticket to Australia to embark on a much anticipated solo journey of inner reflection to discover my self-worth. Naarm (Melbourne) became my watering-hole where I later embraced marriage whilst juggling motherhood and an established career in Information Technology.

In 1994 I relocated to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The stay was meant to be for just a short time but two years after my arrival I was stabbed in a basement car park.  The brutal attack resulted in my disability. This major turning point in my life greatly influenced the writing of my first play 'From Table Mountain to Teluk Intan’ . Writing this play proved to be cathartic in that it allowed me to come to terms with the challenges of having a disability.  

I returned to Australia in 2007.

I have an unbridled passion for writing which has not waned. As a freelance writer, my articles are published in ArtsHub, Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane and several disability magazines. I’ve been a mentor and invited speaker at the Women of the World Festival, been nominated for a Woman of Innovation Award as well as Australia’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs.

My zest for living life to the fullest has influenced my belief — to keep nurturing the mind, the body and the spirit. So you'll find me pumping iron at my local gym, swimming to infinity at several pools around Magandjin (Brisbane), checking out the latest in theatre and on the fine art scene, spending time in dark cinemas, and I never, ever leave home without a book!

My mantra in life is to keep nurturing my self-worth armed with wisdom, insight, patience, humility and gratitude to guide me.

My Headwrap Story

My love for headwraps began back in South Africa where it still is customary for women to wear a doek (from the Afrikaans language meaning headscarf, fabric, kerchief).

The doek bears a strong significance to my Cape Coloured (a terminology coined by the apartheid regime) roots and culture. In South Africa, people of colour were often made to feel ashamed of their hair preferring to keep it hidden. So on bad hair days, the doek was the ideal hair accessory to hide curly, kinky, afro, kroes (very tightly curled) hair.

My First Collection

During my time in Asia I was introduced to the traditional batik making technique.

I was enamoured with the colourful, intricate patterns handcrafted by local villagers — an innate skill which is passed from generation to generation. This discovery led me to revisit/reconnect with my doek wearing roots. After my return to Australia and with only a handful of batik designs, I began exploring the idea of styling these into attractive headwraps.

My Current Collections

Since its humble beginnings in 2014 the Diva Headwraps collections now include African inspired (Ankara) prints, batik, velvet, merino wool blends, denim and linen designs.

The Diva Headwraps brand has attracted a global community of sisters with a loyal following from all over Australia. I strive to restock my shop with exciting designs and different fabric selections. My hands-on, interactive headwrap workshops are popular here in Magandjin (Brisbane) and are an intimate, safe space to understand and learn the art of styling a headwrap.

My headwrap collections are a poignant reminder of my cultural identity and chic enough to compliment any and every outfit!