Hello dear reader!
If you follow ChaniiB Shoes on Instagram, you might already know Chantal made it to New York Fashion Week! And in this blog edition, we are here to tell you some of the insider’s scoop of what happens behind this world class stage!
For those of you who want to know more about the lady behind these fabulous shoes, Chantal Pilon is the CEO and Founder of ChaniiB Shoes, a luxury footwear brand that has sold uniquely exquisite pairs all over the world. She has a flagship shop in Milsom Place where she has been successfully selling her shoes for nearly 12 years. Chantal has come from a long line of successful businesswomen and is third generation in the footwear industry. That said, she is the only one in her family that has become a shoe designer. In her years of training, she has attended the Cordwainers Technical College where she learned to hand make shoes, which gives her the exciting ability to make bespoke footwear for her customers today! Thus, her lifelong experience in the footwear industry has put her on the map as “One To Watch”, according to Flying Solo, “the biggest fashion platform for independent designers in the United States”. Her passion to create exquisite designs that make her customers feel comfortable and beautifully unique has earned her a feature during New York Fashion Week.
During her time in New York Fashion Week, Chantal travelled with her team, who would help her commemorate this big career stepping stone. At the beginning of the week, Flying Solo NYC invited them to a meet and greet party where she met fellow independent designers, who were also celebrating their first experience at the world class show. On the days leading up to the event, Chantal gave many interviews. One in particular asked, “Do you have any advice for aspiring designers” to which she replied “For anyone who has a dream, don’t give up. Perseverance. Perseverance. Perseverance. And, to follow your heart and passion. That. If you believe it…if you really believe it, then it is definitely going to happen.” Her response is the perfect representation of who she really is. She is a woman who empowers others and wants them to do their best. A genuine role model for anyone who wants to get into fashion and luxury footwear, especially.
Chantal Pilon doing an interview with Fashion Channel
The official shows took place from February 9-11th, 2024. Many designers were paired together to showcase their best pieces and to complement each other’s works. Below each image will include the designers' names and their instagram handles along with the name of the shoe that was showcased from ChaniiB Shoes.
Shoes by ChaniiB: "Paris"boots in Red Patent and White Newsprint @shoesbychaniib
Bag by ChaniiB: "Grande Journal" in Newsprint @shoesbychaniib
Accessories by Centopercentocachemire @centopercentocachemire
Shoes by ChaniiB: "Pailette" heel in Rainbow Snake @shoesbychaniib
Clothing by Studio Fit @studio.fit.ke
Shoes by ChaniiB: "Honey" heel in Fucshia @shoesbychaniib
Owl Bag by Wannusa Thailand @wannusathailandofficial
Accessories by Custom Cuff @customcuff
Clothing by Studio Fit @studio.fit.ke
Shoes by ChaniiB: "Honey" heel in Fucshia @shoesbychaniib
Owl Bag by Wannusa Thailand @wannusathailandofficial
Accessories by Custom Cuff @customcuff
Clothing by Studio Fit @studio.fit.ke
Shoes by ChaniiB: "Pointure" Black Newsprint with Navy Heel @shoesbychaniib
Owl Bag by Wannusa Thailand @wannusathailandofficial
Accessories by Custom Cuff @customcuff
Clothing by Studio Fit @studio.fit.ke
Shoes by ChaniiB: "Canal" White Newsprint/Fuchsia @shoesbychaniib
Clothing by Infinity Vessel @infinityvesel
If you were backstage, you would have seen Chantal fitting models with many different styles of her shoes to make sure the whole ensemble would be just right. According to Chantal, backstage was “organised chaos!”.
Chantal Pilon deciding which shoes to send down the runway
If you follow her on instagram @shoesbychaniib, you can check out the behind-the-scenes videos, where you can sense the exhilarating, fast-paced environment to get things “just right”.
Chantal Pilon behind the scenes fitting models
Once the show started, the models walked out in her wonderful designs and her family sat in the audience to capture all the photos and videos they could. So, when it came time for Chantal to officially walk the runway herself, the room shook. Everything that she ever worked for had come to that moment. That is something they would all remember, forever.
In the spirit of the fashion show, Chantal walked away with many great connections with fellow designers, some all the way from Finland!
Designers from Infinity Vessel (Finland)
Looking towards the future, Chantal hopes to do more Fashion Weeks and grow her brand to a much larger scale. She wants to help more women around the world feel comfortable and beautifully unique in her one-of-a-kind brand.
This is definitely the beginning and we are so happy to have you on this journey, believing in her and her brand.
