Lebanese shoe designer Jennifer Chamandi is looking towards a glamorous future.
Jennifer Chamandi. Photo: Courtesy
While the women of the world may be living in sneakers or slippers, Lebanese designer Jennifer Chamandi is defiantly vouching for stilettos. “I have always been a lifelong fan of heels,” she states. “When I was young, I would wear heels around the house, even when I was studying or doing homework. They made me feel more powerful and confident.” Those early dispositions, realizing how empowering shoes could be, took Chamandi down the brick road to launch her career in footwear. “I felt my attitude changed entirely when I was wearing heels and I wanted to share that confidence I felt with other women.”
Courtesy of Jennifer Chamandi
Her namesake brand was born in 2016 and is best defined as classic with edge. “Classic never goes out of style, and, as Coco Chanel famously said, ‘Fashion changes, but style endures,’” she quotes. “This is the motto I live by when designing. To me, the stiletto is the ultimate classic shoe, elegant and universally flattering – the Little Black Dress of shoes.” The heels feature a discreet eye of the needle but the signature is the strap. “The strap sits below the ankle, and is very flattering. Around the ankle, it can cut the foot off suddenly, but by positioning the strap lower, it elongates the leg naturally. This is one of the things that most women love about my shoes,” she reveals – including Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wearing two-tone heels by Jennifer Chamandi. Photo: Getty
As for navigating the current stay-at-home climate, Chamandi muses, “While I think flats will still be popular for the immediate future, I do believe there will be a rebellion, and women will want to dress up and feel glamorous again, even if it is just for a casual dinner with friends or even a visit to the supermarket. There will be a return to opulence.”
Courtesy of Jennifer Chamandi
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Originally published in the January 2021 collection of Vogue Arabia
