For more than two decades, Thandi welcomed women into her small boutique in Cape Town. Many came in searching for the perfect dress, but Thandi first paid attention to something more important: the woman who would be wearing it.

She carefully noticed how each customer saw herself in the mirror. She knew who loved vibrant colours, who preferred darker shades, and which details each woman liked to highlight or keep more subtle.

For Thandi, dressing well was never about trying to become someone else. It was about feeling beautiful and confident and, above all, looking in the mirror and still recognising yourself.