Page 3 - DUT EDGE Dec 21

RISING STARS
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Durban-born Sundraj, who has received a De Beers Award, manages an all women team that handles design, social media, sales and distribution from their headquarters in Singapore and Ireland. She also runs Colour Addict workshops. Having successfully launched three start-up businesses, her latest brand, Chai Addict, went live in November 2021 targeting Ireland, the UK and the European Union.
Sundraj described her jewellery as fun, flirty, and rebellious.
“All our pieces are bold and vibrant to give you that celebrity style. We believe that the most sustainable fashion you can purchase is already in your closet. Instead of spending money on a new wardrobe every season to keep up with trends, we suggest updating your current one with jewellery,” she said.
She settled in Ireland as her husband is Irish.
“I am a sucker for the rain and the Irish accent and we made the decision to move here a few years ago. This also helped my online business as Ireland is the perfect location to ship from worldwide.”
She reflects fondly on her time at DUT. “I registered in the Faculty of Arts: Jewellery Design and Manufacture in 1999 back in the days when it was on the Botanical Gardens campus. I completed my diploma in 2001.” Special moments included discovering and falling in love with rare semi-precious stones during her gemmology class.
“However, the highlight of my DUT experience was a more personal one. I grew up in apartheid South Africa and lived among only Indian people. My high school was attended by mainly Indian girls. DUT exposed me to what it means to be South African and I made friends of all races and backgrounds, many of whom I am still in contact with today,” she said.
Nonetheless, she confronted some challenges.
“My family could barely afford to pay my fees and I had to work part time. For those three years, I did not have a single day off,” she said.
Sundraj added that DUT shaped her into the entrepreneur that she is today.
“I do a livestream where we sell our jewellery, and people comment on what a gemstone geek I am, as I am always quoting my gemmology and metallurgy lecturers,” she chuckled.
She cites Rihanna Savage x Fenty as role models.“Growing up as an Indian kid in apartheid South Africa, I didn’t think I had the confidence to grow an international accessories business. Seeing other women of colour doing this and having the time of their lives while doing it, makes me feel like anything is possible and the sky really is the limit. My other role model is my mum who worked to provide for us, ran the home and raised three children. I am in awe of her and how she managed to do it all,” she said.
Looking to the future, she aims to work with her dedicated team to become a major player in the fashion industry with more celebrity endorsements and store locations. She added that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced her to think outside the box. “Last year at the height of the pandemic, we partnered with Facebook and Instagram and have used these social media platforms more than ever to promote our business, allowing us to grow our online presence. We also set up global next day shipping to selected countries. Our biggest win was getting ASOS, the largest online fashion marketplace in the UK, EU and North America to
sell Colour Addict jewellery,” she said.
Leading Asian fashion provider Zalora followed and Colour Addict is also sold on Amazon.
Her advice to DUT students who want to follow in her footsteps is to keep going.
“It will be hard, and at times you will wonder why you are doing it. There have been days where I had $10 in
my business account with a string
of bills to pay, but one has to push through the difficult times because there is so much reward on the other side.”
Pictured: Vereena Sundraj
Alumna shares the Secrets of
her Successful Jewellery Career
International entrepreneur and former DUT Jewellery Design student, Vereena Sundraj is the founder and creative director of Colour Addict that specialises in gemstone jewellery. The brand is available online and in boutiques in London, New York, Singapore, and Dubai. Sundraj designs all the jewellery which is manufactured in the Colour Addict workshop. Currently residing in Ireland, she has shipped her jewellery to over 34 countries worldwide, and has been featured in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, with an invitation to showcase her designs at New York Fashion Week.