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, we were deliberately separated under the divisive apartheid laws of ‘divide and rule’. In 1980, I bought a one-way ticket to Australia where I embarked on a much anticipated journey of self-discovery and inner reflection. 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 while I assisted my then partner in establishing a business. But three years after my arrival I was stabbed in a basement car park.  The brutal attack resulted in paraplegia. This major turning point in my life greatly influenced the writing of my first play 'From Table Mountain to Teluk Intan’ (staged in 2000 in Malaysia and then again at the New York Fringe Festival in 2002). Writing the play proved to be cathartic in that it allowed me to come to terms with the challenges of being a paraplegic.  

It was inevitable that I would return to Australia (in 2007).

Given my passion for living life to the fullest, I believe in 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 Brisbane, checking out the latest in theatre and on the fine art scene, spending time in dark cinemas, and I never, never leave home without a book - you can follow me on facebook.com/writeousness to read the latest book, movie, music, festival and art reviews!

My mantra in life is to nurture my journey of self-discovery 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. On bad hair days it was the ideal hair accessory to hide away curly, kinky, kroes (very tightly curled) hair.

In South Africa, people of colour were often made to feel ashamed of their hair preferring to keep it hidden.

My First Collection

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

I was enamoured with the colourful patterns that were handcrafted by local villagers and I admired their innate skill which is passed from generation to generation. This discovery led me to revisit/reconnect with my 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 and linen designs.

My brand has attracted a global community of sisters and I have 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 Brisbane and are an intimate, safe space to understand the art of headwrap styling.

My headwraps are a poignant reminder of my cultural identity and chic enough to compliment any and every outfit.