Interviews
IWD 2024 Chie Mihara
Spanish shoe designer, Chie Mihara has broken barriers in a male-dominated industry, inspiring many with her unwavering pursuit of excellence.
Interviews
Q&A with Chie Mihara
As a female-led brand, we sat down with designer Chie Mihara to find out a little more about how the brand empowers women and provides equal opportunity for females through the design process.
How do you drive change for women in your workplace?
We value the person and their capabilities, not their gender. Most of our team are women - there are four women for every man. At the end of the day, we create shoes for women. We want the people in our team to represent or understand the working women who make up our customers. They’re women doing everything they can to create a better future for their company, their families and those around them.
How do you promote gender equality?
We’re considered as a role model company for our support of working women. Chie Mihara got the ‘Equality Plan’ seal of approval from the Spanish government. It's a nice recognition of the work we’ve done and continue to do. We’re committed to supporting fair salaries, family conciliation, gender equality and zero discrimination. We always want to make sure our team is happy and willing to work with us.
What initiatives has your brand taken to empower women in the workplace?
As the majority of our team is women, we’re happy to share the work between us and boost each other up. As we continue to grow, it’s evidence that our tight-knit team of women have the ability to make something amazing.
Has there been a big change in female influence for your brand?
Our shoes are influenced by the modern woman. We only make shoes that empower women to do more and do it better. We make shoes for walking, not only to look pretty. My belief is a good pair of shoes helps a woman go further. If you don’t have to suffer on your way to work and beyond, you’ll want to do so much more in life.
Do any women inspire your work or designs?
I admire creative, daring, strong and kind women. But above all a person who’s unafraid of being herself. That’s real beauty. Women that embody this for me are Miuccia Prada, Diana Vreeland and Iris Apfel.