Today we’d like to introduce you to Cha’Nice Gunn.
Hi Cha’Nice, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Chanique Boutique was founded in 2018. During the upcoming years, it has been some struggles maintaining the consistency of selling and promoting my designs, while pursuing other endeavors and balancing my personal life. However, the optimism I perceive about my passion for fashion, has always attracted my attention back to it. Growing up I would style my outfits into different ways than how they were already designed (*laugh out loud*). Always color-coordinating and adding accessories that would make me stick out. I remember my mother use to buy me those kids fashion design sketchbooks, where they included templates and instructions how to sketch certain designs. I loved those! I believe after experiencing the joy and fun out of those, and learning how to hand sew in my middle school art class is when I started to grow interest into fashion. By 2020, when the COVID pandemic was taking place, I began taking my fashion designing more seriously. I taught myself the basics of sewing over again, practiced making designs with up-cycled clothes and customizing Ugg boots and Nike Air Force 1s. I started saving money to invest more into my craft. At the time, I was just executing custom pieces I knew I could make. Keep in mind, with the little materials I had and could afford, that also played a part in the progress of self-teaching certain designs. As of today, my focus is on leather and denim designs as my vision for Chanique Boutique has expanded. The representation that I seek for Chanique Boutique today is now beyond the measures of what I visioned years ago. It is more extraordinary than before, and I am so excited to share it with the world! I’ve learned so many new techniques and designs overtime. The rebrand of Chanique Boutique this year is going to be great!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, it has not. However, it takes failure to gain success. As a self-taught designer, navigating my way through the fashion industry and learning the ins and outs of it, it definitely has not been a smooth journey everyone may think it is. I am still learning new things as I prosper through this journey. I did a relaunch back in June of 2023 and there was a point in time where I ended up having to put CB to the side again because school and work was taking up so much of my time.There were times while I was in college, I’d work all during the day then be up all night, until 4-5 in the morning, doing homework, listening to lectures, while designing clothes. Working three jobs just so that I can keep up with my monthly expenses while also having extra money saved to maintain CB. I was burning myself out. Not only mentally, but physically as well. Chanique Boutique is solely being ran by myself, so it has and still does require a lot of sacrifice. Whether it’s my time, social life, or money, running the business on my own has tested my mental capacity along the road. However, this comes with the journey to success. You learn so much as you go and it’s so rewarding in the end.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When CB first started off on the rise, I was just doing customizations by adding on to pre-designed products. I noticed at one point of time that I was confusing potential customers because I’ve had people who’d reach out for customizations where I would “add-on” to the products. Then, I’d have those who’d reach out to me for full, handmade pieces like prom dresses. At that point, I knew I had to reevaluate Chanique Boutique to clarify what the brand services. I love doing kids customizations! Those happened to bring most of CB’s brand recognition, along with the shoe customizations throughout the upcoming years. However, the representation I seek for the brand no longer resides to those products. Now, I am focusing more on designs made only from scratch by myself. No added-on customs. Chanique Boutique wants to promote new, high-end quality, lavished styles. Designs that you can’t and won’t find anywhere else. It’s time to show the world the true value of Chanique Boutique and the power of beauty it represents through its unique, handmade products.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I love this question because something I really want to share with others that I’ve actually received recently from fellow business peers is, ‘Get rid of the Plan B and stick with Plan A.’ When you implement a Plan B in your goals, you’re showing that you fear failure. You’re showing that if Plan A doesn’t work out, you’re subject to follow the easy route with Plan B. With that mindset, you’re setting yourself to lose focus from your initial goal (Plan A), keeping you in a stagnant position. You begin projecting a fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset, because you’re not allowing yourself to face the obstacles that comes with achieving that goal. When you have a Plan B, you’ll never be able to put your full focus to executing Plan A, because you have it in the back of your head that, ‘If this doesn’t work out then I know I can do it this way.’ As someone who’s experienced having a mindset as such, that stood out to me so much! I’ve definitely done some self-reflection since and it has changed my perspective on how I execute my goals in life now. Believe it or not, when you actually remove your Plan B, you’ll start to notice the difference of the consistency and motivation you put into Plan A. So much more gets done!
Pricing:
- Custom Orders- Prices vary upon order
- Boutique Products- As priced when available
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanique.boutique/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Chanique-Boutique-100092718805441/
- Other: Chaniqueboutiquellc@gmail.com
