A former drug addict father from Hanover Park turned fashion designer entrepreneur is fast becoming a household name in Cape Town.
Shannon Caswell, 29, was on hard drugs for 13 years before going clean four years ago.
The father of three has since become a successful entrepreneur, family man and proud home owner who bought himself a car.
After losing his retail job due to Covid in March 2020, Shannon put his passion for fashion into production.
“As a young boy, I wanted to be a designer and make clothing, but my drug habit got the better of me when I was 13 years old and I lost that drive,” he says.
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“I started on dagga, then tik and then heroin and this drug was the one that broke me.
“I spent most of my time on drugs, being homeless and begging for food on the streets.
“I have been to various rehabs for lengthy times, but it was the last one I went to which was my shortest stay – it was a 29-day programme and this helped a lot.
“What broke me every time, was the fact that my daughter cried after me when I’d visit my mother’s house,” he says.
In April, he started his clothing label, STETS – made of the first letters of his family’s names.
“I used to work in a clothing store and we got retrenched due to Covid, but this gave me the opportunity to make and sell the clothing I always wanted to do.”
“I started putting my work on Facebook and got a lot of orders, I now get up to 10 orders every second day.”
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He now has big dreams not only for his family but also his community.
“I want to become successful in this business and one day open up my own clothing factory.
“My aim is also to upskill the youth in Hanover Park and teach them the ropes of designing and starting a business.”
Shannon has no formal training and cuts and sews his own clothes, which includes streetwear, tracksuits and jackets.
“The cotton fleece tracksuiting, denims, viscose and more ... I can make basically everything with all kinds of material.”
For orders, call Shannon on 068 204 5356, also check out his Facebook page, shannonstephencaswell.
venecia.america@inl.co.za