About Chie

Japanese version

My inspirational wall!

Making shoes at my apartment in Queens

Loved making my shoes by hand! So much work but once it was done I was so fully satisfied!

Was presented in a contest. NO PRIZE...but had fun making it!

All hand made!

I was into angels that time!

Also made bags

...more bags..and the sculture behind it's also mine!

I like this picture! Have no idea where I was...

I was happy to take a picture with the boy I liked! He was so bad!

with my sisters in Brasil, a lot summer, no pool!

9 years old!

“Knowledge brings you freedom”
that’s what my parents tought me!

Harumi just turned 13… a true artist!

Agatha is 11 years old... a beatiful person

Kenji is 9 years old...the little boy in the family!

with their supper daddy…

.the second of three sisters, Chie Mihara was born in 1968 to japanese parents in Porto Alegre, Brasil.

.lived in Fukuoka Japan from ages 18-22, studying fashion design at the Kyushu Design Gakkuin and working for Junko Koshino as a design assistant.

.moved to New York at age 22 and studied accessories design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, focusing on shoes and handbags.

.worked at Eneslow, an orthopedic shoe store, learning about foot anatomy and common foot problems.

.worked as a shoe and bag designer for Sam & Libby, NY

.moved to Elda, Spain at age 27.

.worked for Charles Jourdan, a french luxury line of shoes.

.married at age 29 and had three children.

.founded the Chie Mihara line in 2001.

Chie's goal in designing footwear is to create styles that are femenine, fun, and truly comfortable. Every Chie Mihara shoes features an anatomical footbed that Chie designed specifically to accommodate a woman's foot. She draws on facets of her multicultural background when creating her collections: Brasil informs the femenine details; Japan influences her design approach; the U.S.A contributes practicality; and Spain is the source for the high quality of construction. Chie wants women to visually and emotionally connect to her shoes, while she takes care of the practical side with careful attention to arquitecture and craftsmanship.

i'm the heart and Francisco, the brain...

without him, this project of brand would not be possible!


BRAND STORY

Chie Mihara launched her shoe line in Elda, Spain, in January 2002 in order to offer women something different, footwear designed by woman for women, with a priority placed on design and comfort. "we're mothers, workers-all of us women!" she said, "and we should have shoes that will match our needs. We want to look femenine, beautiful, attractive but without giving up comfort". Drawing on vintage influences ranging from 1930s feminity to 1980s humor, she began taking details from the past and reworking them to reflect contemporary aesthetics and modern fashion. Her distinctive footwear quickly gained a following devoted to Chie's unique approach to comfort and style.

Eight years later, Chie Mihara has over 800 clients worldwide, including luxury department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in the U.S.A, Selfridges in England, Isetan in Japan, and Au Bon Marche in France. In 2008, she opened her flagship Chie Mihara store in Tokio.