To life!
Petra Hejmalova-Jackson is one of those people who shines from the inside out and her enthusiasm for life is contagious. Get It spent some time with this passionate designer at her home in Raslouw, Centurion.
When Petra Hejmalova, and her sister Radka of the then Czechoslovakia decided to visit their parents, who were working on a project in South Africa, they never dreamed they’d still be here 18 years down the line.
 Petra, only 20 years old at the time, immediately fell in love with South Africa and all it had to offer, but she had to make more than a few sacrifices in order to stay and build a life here. Having studied at the prestigious College of Clothing in the Czech Republic and already owning her own studio back home, she initially had to settle for much less, ‘I needed a job in order to get a work visa ... and nobody would hire me because I didn’t have a work visa! Needless to say, it was a very frustrating time. My not being able to speak English didn’t help my situation at all. Eventually I got hired by a Pretoria company called Trimtech because I could sew straight, believe it or not.’ 
After learning to speak English through waiting at tables, it was easy for Petra to move on and show off her talent at various clothing companies. It didn’t take too long for this exceptional designer to make her mark and soon she opened her own company called Hej Design Studios, which she still runs today. 
Petra, who has an eye for detail, gets her inspiration for designs from everyday life and history. No wonder her most prized possession is a pattern-making book from 1946. This is evident in her style, which is classical with a bit of a twist. She’s very much in demand and her list of clients include, among many others, high ranking diplomats and the executive staff at Montecasino and Liberty Life for whom she designed promotional clothing. At one stage, she worked on the set of Egoli, and says her biggest clients at the moment are Peter and Bob who are both size 44.
She’s an incredibly passionate person and you can’t help getting excited when she starts to tell you about her love of designing and different kinds of fabric. ‘I love the freedom and creativity that comes with my job and I’m always working on new ideas and experimenting with different kinds of fabric. My absolute favourite is raw silk and that’s one of the reasons I took on the challenge of launching my new men’s line at the Bryanston Organic Market. I’d like to show people that being environmentally friendly can also be very stylish.’
There’s only one thing that excites Petra more than good quality materials, and that’s her family. Petra and her husband, Andrew, a professional golfer, have been married for nine years. They met on the driving range when her sister decided to take golfing lessons and Petra tagged along. ‘Funny how things work out a certain way. When you’re ready, life always seems to present you with new opportunities in some way or another. We’re a very close family and spend a lot of time together. Adam (4) is a lot like his dad and Megan (8) is already very comfortable behind her own sewing machine. She reminds me of myself at that age ... I started designing very early in my life because during those years it was difficult to find decent clothes in communist Czechoslovakia, and I wanted to look different.’  
Petra is not only teaching Megan the joys of exploring and creating with fabrics, but is also passing on her skills to people in her community. She holds sewing classes for all levels at her studio. ‘I love helping people find their own creativity and watching them beaming with pride when they finish a garment.
 ‘I just love the people of Pretoria ... they’re so open and welcoming. I do still struggle a bit with my Afrikaans, maar ek probeer darem so bietjie. There’s not a single thing not to like about living here. We have the best weather in the world, the flowering jacarandas each spring, the calm atmosphere and lots and lots of green spaces. It’s like living in the countryside ... but you also have the Mall @ Reds and Centurion Mall just around the corner. One of our favourite hangouts is Irene Farm.’  
Petra still has many plans (and patterns!) up her sleeve for the future, but hesitates to give out too much info too soon. For now she wants to expand her sewing classes, and there’s a new children’s line on the way ... and perhaps a boutique or two. We know this much ... everything will be done in style.
For more information about attending sewing classes. Please contact Petra on 083-448-4795.