GEORGE NEWS - Just days after George Herald had celebrated Andreio Fick (57) for his work at the Wilderness Fashion Week, a very different story hit the headlines.

Netwerk24 reported that Fick almost shattered the dreams of three local matric girls, leaving them without their perfect farewell dresses shortly before their matric farewell.

Following the report, George Herald recently met Fick. He was clearly affected by the damning news report. The vibrant individual from a few weeks ago looked exhausted, yet despite the sense of defeat, there was something in his demeanour that sparked the journalist’s interest.

Fick said he has been feeling down and out since the media storm erupted. It got so bad that he even contemplated giving up on his talent and closing his business. He felt the news reports, which according to him did not reflect the whole truth about everything that transpired, had the potential to burn his hard-earned reputation to the ground. He said he feels awful about what happened, especially since some of the reports implied poor workmanship, something he takes very seriously.

Andreio Fick with a dress that was rejected as a result of a flaw in the material. The client was refunded.

“You can flip any of my dresses inside out and you’ll see the amount of detailed work that goes into the dresses. The truth is, I made mistakes. I own that. I took on too much. I wanted every young girl to feel seen, beautiful and worthy, even those who couldn’t afford my work. My heart said yes, but my body couldn’t keep up. My prices often just covered costs; in some cases, I worked at half price just to make sure that everyone who came through my door had a beautiful dress to wear. I don’t just make dresses; I sit with every young woman, engage with the parents, and then design a dress that not only represents the individual’s dream, but also their essence.”

Fick said people don't see the challenges behind the scenes. Some clients were late for fittings or requested major design changes when their dresses were already nearly complete. 

One client, after consulting ChatGPT, asked for a full redesign, even though most of the original gown had been finished.

"I drove to Oudtshoorn at my own cost for fittings and did my best to accommodate the family’s financial constraints. That was one of the three dresses that remained unfinished.

"Another client initially asked for a ball gown, but later wanted a straight dress instead. I created a second gown from what material I had left, without charging her a cent more, because I wanted her to be completely happy. That’s who I am. I care deeply about my clients, sometimes to my own detriment.”

Fick said two weeks ago, on a Wednesday morning, he collapsed next to his work table. “I remember waking up on the floor, disoriented and weak. Somehow I stumbled to my car and drove myself to the hospital. I was in serious trouble, and I knew it.”

He said for two and a half months, he had been working from 01:00 until 22:00 or 23:00 every single day, without rest. “Out of 68 dresses, including those for the Wilderness Fashion Week, only three were left unfinished when my body finally forced me to stop. Despite all this, I didn’t run from my responsibility. I refunded the clients whose dresses were not completed and allowed them to take the dresses somewhere else to be completed. I felt violated and saddened by one client who actually tore the dress design from my design book before leaving with the dress, beads and a mannequin, all while I was in hospital.”

Fick said he is now receiving treatment for dangerously high blood sugar and blood pressure. 

“My partner, secretary and accountant have stepped in to take over bookings and finances, and I am looking into employing a second seamster to join my team to support production. We will not overbook, and we will not take on more work than we can manage. This will not happen again.

“But the biggest change is within me. It’s been a hard lesson, but I also realised that when something is from God, it often isn’t comfortable. This is not comfortable at all, but I sense that God is preparing me for greater things. I now understand that working to exhaustion is not honour, it’s self-abandonment. Undercharging is not kindness, it’s erasing my own worth. From now on, I will choose my clients, not the other way around.

“Maybe this was my wake-up call, a breaking that became a beginning. Beneath the shame, I recognised an old wound, one that started long before the dresses. And now I’m ready to let it go. To rise again, not as a people pleaser, but as a creator.

“People attacked my work, my sexuality, and my faith. I do not accept all the negative labels that have been assigned to me. I know who I am. I am a child of God and a devoted partner to Braam. Most of all, I am a man with a gift - one I will never again take for granted.”

• George Herald was unable to reach any of the affected parties and did not receive any direct contact from them, despite providing them the journalist’s contact details through a third party.

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