The founder shares what inspired him to launch the brand and the market that the company is burgeoning in

It was during the autumn-winter 2024 Haute Couture Week in Paris back in June, when Black Suede Studio (BSS) set up shop at a hotel in the city center to present their newest collection, Resort 25. Stepping into their suite, Kris Avakian the founder of the brand and someone from his team greeted me. Set up around the suite were a plethora of shoes from the brand that would bring a tear to even Imelda Marco’s eyes.

Avakian exudes a quiet calm nature, and what he has been able to build screams success and somehow it feels like he is just getting started with the brand, which was launched in 2018 in Canada. Entrepreneurship seems to be an effortless skill and gift. He comes from an entrepreneurial family and his wife Katherine Garbarino is successful in her own right with her own business ventures. For him he found a need in the shoe market, which inspired him to launch the brand. “I have always appreciated fashion, sneakers, and shoes growing up and I wanted to work with products that I love and enjoy, plus there was a void in the market. There was no other footwear brand that I could think of at the time with quality, comfort, and styling at the price point that we have now,” he tells Seele. The shoes were initially produced in China but are now made in Brazil, with high quality materials, and they are sustainable and ethically sourced.

Resort 25, the latest collection flow well from daytime to evening, are practical, and are comfortable. “It was inspired to accentuate the characters we play on social media today. A focus on wearability with a luxury clean and timeless aesthetic, while not sacrificing creativity. Keeping a close focus on key craftsmanship such as bold materials, embellishments, distressed material and high shine finishes,” says Avakian.

“It offers a wide range of day to night heels and everyday casual wear. I am mostly excited to see the brand go from mainly high heel evening wear to an all-day wearable fashion offering. We are expanding commodities within shoes and I am happy to already see the positive reaction from both B2B and B2C.” 

And, resort and ready-to-wear shoes aren’t all BSS does. Bridal shoes are also their specialty. There was a need for it of women asking for them, and so Avakian and his design team obliged. “We launched some smaller capsule collections over the last 2 seasons but the current July 25th launch was our official standalone for Bridal, which was a natural extension to what we create in the main line: quality craftsmanship and trend forward feminine silhouettes.”

Shoes won’t be their only product for long, jewelry is in the pipeline too. Quite simply they are merchandise that he knows all too well. “We are launching jewelry and belts available in stores and online in October 2024. I grew up in fashion accessories and jewelry working for my father, supplying some of the biggest retailers in the world. It was only a matter of time that we introduce high quality accessories to Black Suede Studio,” he explains.

Even though BSS is a Canadian brand, they are more influential outside of Canada and in other markets. The US is their largest market, but in the Middle East they have a growing customer base as women in the region are taking to the style of shoes they design. “The Middle East has become such an important part of our business, we actually just launched our first shop in shop in Harvey Nichols in Doha. It was huge milestone for us. I think Our quality, styling and comfort is what resonates with our customer. Once you try the brand you become a fan.”

Avakian and his team have worked hard creating a good shoe brand. I asked him his thoughts on when he stops and takes a moment to think about where the brand is now and what he has built, what comes to mind. “First thing that comes to mind is the dedication, belief and hard work of everyone involved in this journey,” he says. The future isn’t scary for him, but one he looks forward to with excitement. “We have been working so hard to launch new retailers, new partnerships and I can’t wait to see it come to fruition towards the end of this year.”