BY CHRIS ALEX
RACHEL Charles, a 53-year-old tailor from Malatobi in Malaita Province, has spent a lifetime threading her passion for tailoring from childhood into adulthood. Her journey is one woven with dedication, perseverance, and deep cultural roots.
Growing up in a traditional village setting, Rachel was keen to embrace the skills associated with womanhood. In North Malaita, girls were highly valued in cultural exchanges, including shell money traditions. An elder once told her, “Make yourself worth something and be ready for your womanhood,” a sentiment that stuck with her throughout her life.
Rachel’s mother, a skilled tailor, played a crucial role in shaping her future. “I always recall when I was a child, my mother used to take me along whenever she sewed. I will never forget those moments—they made me who I am today,” Rachel recalls when interviewed by SOLOMON WOMEN. She fondly recalls falling asleep to the recurring sound of the sewing machine, a lullaby that comforted and inspired her.
As Rachel grew older, she honed her skills, determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
By the early 1990s, she had turned her passion into a profession, securing her first job at a Chinese shop in the old Chinatown.
This experience exposed her to industrial sewing machines, sharpening her expertise. She later worked in various Indian shops in Honiara before joining Tropical Product, another business located in old Chinatown.
However, life took a turn when Chinatown was first burned down. Rachel was forced to leave her job at Tropical Product and started working from home. She sewed garments and sold them to her neighbours and local clients, sustaining her livelihood through her craft.
Her journey took a significant step forward in 2017 when a close friend introduced her to the owner of JEQUAL CLASSIC. She soon joined the team, and for the past eight years, she has been passionately refining her tailoring and pattern-drafting skills.
Today, Rachel finds immense fulfillment in her work at JEQUAL CLASSIC, where she caters to the tailoring needs of a diverse clientele. JEQUAL CLASSIC is a tailoring business located on the lower floor of the Mokolo Building, near the Mataniko River in Honiara.
Her story is not just one of personal achievement but also a testament to the enduring legacy of craftsmanship passed down through generations.
“I always tell my children and grandchildren about my mother’s sewing and how it shaped my life. I hope them, too, will cherish the value of hard work and passion,” Rachel shares.
