“It’s also a testimony to there being no perfect pathway into entrepreneurship, especially when you’re making an impact. “As a younger individual, I feel like this launch can inspire a lot of other younger founders to go out there and chase their dreams,” Edwards said. Just one year later, Edwards has inked the brand’s first major retail partnership. Since the Macy’s partnership launched, Edwards said Vaila has been on the path toward profitability and she hopes to hire a full-time team to help the brand continue to grow. Vaila, which offers shoes between sizes 9 and 14, launched in March 2022 via a mainly direct-to-consumer model. Edwards also has connections with plus-size modeling agencies that might need extended shoe sizes for their models. “Ahriana’s inclusive and unique shoe collection will provide our customers with even more choices to help them own their style.”Īs the brand expands, Edwards is aiming to increase visibility with different sectors of people who might need bigger shoe sizes, such as expecting mothers whose feet sizes might change during pregnancy or female athletes who wear bigger sizes. “As part of our social purpose platform, Mission Every One, we are committed to supporting diverse designers and using Macy’s platform to showcase their talent,” said Chris Steinmann, Macy’s VP and divisional business manager of center core. Pathways program, which provides funding to diverse-owned and underrepresented businesses, Edwards was able to receive financial support to continue to grow her brand. The shoes are produced in a factory in China.Īs a young Black female founder, Edwards said she saw firsthand certain disparities for Black entrepreneurs when it comes to financing. She’s currently the sole employee for the brand and typically moves between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. Through these competitions and incubators, Edwards developed a network of industry mentors and connections as she broke into the industry. In 2021, she was a winner of Pharrell Williams‘ Black Ambition Prize meant to help fund businesses from Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Its pebbled upper, heritage stitching and retro Swoosh design let you blend sport and fashion. To raise funds, she participating in a variety of pitch competitions, which helped her raise over 80,000 to get the brand off the ground. Honoring a history rooted in tennis culture, the Nike Court Legacy brings you a time-tested staple. When she started creating the brand in 2020, she leveraged contacts from her college’s fashion department to help design the shoes and made new connections at business incubators and accelerators for new founders. As an outsider to the fashion industry, Edwards’ learning curve with Vaila was quick.
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