Ms. Stephanie Cardwell displays one of her many beautiful skirts.
Ms. Stephanie Cardwell is the finance manager at Watauga, but she also owns a small business that sells world dance apparel. By starting as a performer and making costumes for herself, Cardwell got better at it and eventually opened her own shop, Sultan Trading.
Cardwell sells a variety of items involved in world dance, from Bollywood style to bell-bottom dance pants.
“I sell a variety of things that can be used in many different genres of world dance - Middle Eastern style belly dance and folkloric dance, tribal style belly dance, Spanish skirt dances, and Bollywood dance from India,” Cardwell said. “I have coin belts, hip scarves, harem pants, bell bottom dance pants, 25-yard skirts, choli tops, tie tops, ghawazee vests, salwar kameez, jewelry, and so much more.”
She didn’t start with such a diverse stock. In fact, she only started learning to sew after joining a belly dancing troupe under the stage name Shu’la, which means flame in Arabic.
“The belly dancing came first,” Cardwell said. “As I got into it more, became a member of a troupe, and started performing, I learned to sew and make some of my own costuming to help with expenses. Then I started making some of my own accessories, headpieces, hip scarves, and such.”
After some time of making items for herself, Cardwell decided to expand.
“I got pretty good at it and thought maybe I could have a little traveling shop, set up at world dance events and festivals,” she said. “I came up with the name, started building an inventory of both handmade items and imports, and had my first event the very next month.”
On March 11, Watauga hosted Mountain-Con where vendors could set up for free and sell their merchandise. Sultan Trading set up shop and had great success.
“The merchandise I selected to bring with me seemed to be the right fit,” she said. “It was a fantastic event. I think it will get bigger every year. I’m already making plans about what I’ll bring next year. This year the big seller was a full tie-dye skirt with a bottom tier about 10 yards around!”
She can be contacted by email, at shulashimmies@gmail.com, or on Facebook Messenger as Shu’la. Cardwell made almost every item she is wearing in the profile picture on her Facebook page. Go support her!
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