Chicago native Kendall Reynolds founded her namesake luxury shoe label Kendall Miles in 2015 with luxury for Black women in mind. She built the crux of her brand while in school at USC where she graduated with an international relations degree with a focus on entrepreneurship. Notably, what’s unique about Reynolds’ journey is the fact that due to her mother’s support and financial backing, she was able to fully take a leap of faith and launch her business as she learned the necessary business skills and acumen at USC, according to Teen Vogue.
During her senior year, she worked diligently to carve out the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey as a footwear brand founder. Reynolds combined her first name and her brother’s first name to keep her brand distinctively personal to her. Her pre-existing business track and fascination with shoes from a young age were kismet as she set out to create striking shoes. Her luxury footwear designs have gone on to be worn by the style maven Rihanna and the beloved R&B songbird Kehlani.
As a self-taught designer, Reynolds has always valued learning more about the design process and enrolled in a three-week crash course in Italy at the Arsutoria institution. There she learned about the different types of shoes and how to sketch properly. Through that and constantly learning on her own, she’s built Kendall Miles into the brand it is today with an infusion of culture along with luxury. While her consumer market is diverse, she emphasizes seeing Black women in luxury products as not many brands, especially her European counterparts, aren’t pushing that to the forefront.
“This messaging isn’t to exclude other races, we want a diverse customer base, but first it’s imperative that we drill down on this message because no one else is encouraging us to elevate our lives in a genuine way,” Reynolds explained. “Elevating your mindset on what you deserve and how you show up can change your life in a very meaningful way. The culture we play into is much more spiritual and healing than pop culture,” she added.
The brand’s ethos also lies in Reynolds being a third-generation entrepreneur which is why her designs are made in Italy. She utilizes a manufacturer that is a family-run mom-and-pop style business. From a design stance, the brand’s ethos finds a healthy balance between sophisticated, youthful, and edgy. You can see that within pieces like the HALO sandals and feathered bag from her new collection entitled “Delicate Desires” as well as the Foxxy Ibiza, and Siren pumps. Each piece is packed with vibrant colors and unique silhouettes to offer customers a full experience of glamour. The brand also prides itself in its expanded sizing of true sizes 12 through 14—a rarity in luxury footwear.
The designer often pulls inspiration through realms outside of fashion ranging from travel to just being outside in nature. Other things from special occasions to personality traits can lead Reynolds to design her “perfect” shoe. With an exquisite eye for detail, she’ll also look at the cuts of clothing and how they’d complement her shoe designs.
Reynolds has built an immensely supportive community surrounding her label. She described the women she works with as educated, fashionable, self-encouraged, motivated, and confident women; the type of network that anyone would thrive in. “From customers to cheerleaders to followers, the community surrounding Kendall Miles is so quality and impactful. I’m always learning from our community, whether it is directly related to the types of shoes they need or general life advice,” said Reynolds.
Her dreams and goals for the brand’s future include diversifying her offerings with women’s footwear from flats to lower heels and entering the men’s market. Reynolds wants to continue to show up as a Black woman in luxury for make it “a little bit easier for the next Black girl who goes to Italy to make shoes.”
Shop the new Delicate Desires collection on kendallmiles.com. Sizes range from 36 to 43 while prices on shoes and accessories range from $475 to $1,195.
