Showcasing the Power of Black Women: Meet Chantel Gibbs the Pretti Beast Behind Shannon Shenone, LLC

Chantel Gibbs is the big boss and lead designers behind one of my favorite clothing brands, Shannon Shenone. I have pulled pieces from her for NYFW and own two of her custom pieces. I absolutely love her stuff- both sexy and sophisticated at the same time. This year Chantel celebrated her tenth year in business, and to commemorate the occasion she has curated a ready to wear collection that you can shop in her online boutique. I finally got a chance to catch up with Chantel and talk work, motherhood, and her path to getting to her ten year anniversary.  

1- Tell us a little bit about your company?

The name of my company is Shannon Shenone LLC. It was named after my uncle Shannon Gibbs. We are a fashion brand for women who know they are custom made and shop like it. 

2- When did you start sewing? How soon after was it did you decide you wanted to make a career of it?

I started sewing at ten. I would cut open and sew back my stuffed animals. I was obsessed with watching those trauma surgery shows and I was convinced then that I wanted to be a trauma surgeon. However, I was always making things. My first designs were actually doll baby clothes and jewelry. I would also watch and learn from my late uncle and grandmother. But I didn’t realize that I wanted to make a career of it until I was high school.

3- How do you balance entrepreneurship and motherhood? 

I don’t. Lol everyday is a constant battle. I make schedules, which helps. My daughter is six and past the nap stage. So, I try to keep my little one busy when I’m busy. She loves puzzles, books and drawing. So I make sure that I have plenty of that on deck. I also make sure I give her some quality mommy time. It’s really a lot of creativity and compromising. 

4- How does your daughter feel about having a fashion designer as a mom? Does she share your love of fashion?

She loves it. She’s always been involved since day one. Photo shoots, video shoots etc she’s there with me. She loves to come up with designs for me to make for her. She takes my fabric and makes things for her dolls. I ask for her input and she never holds back on her opinion. 

5- That's too sweet. You say you make schedules for the two of you, what is your average day like?

I strive to be up at 530am have some tea and meditation, but my days mostly start at 6am with my 6 year old sounding an alarm of  “I’m hungry."  From there it’s thanking God, stretching looking at my  schedule for that day. I go over my daughters schedule, double checking that she has activities for the times of the day that I will be most busy. My days are long and change from week to week. 

6- With ten years in business, what has been your biggest branding challenge and how did you overcome it?

My biggest branding challenge was figuring out what my message was and understanding the importance of having a brand message. I had to really look at the core of why I do what I do. It’s not just to produce pretty clothing for people. It’s about a feel. How does wearing my brand make you feel…How does purchasing a piece from Shannon Shenone make you feel. The experience. I wanted to make sure that I am giving that custom made experience weather a person is literally getting something custom made or shopping my curated collection from my online boutique. That’s the message and I am still building on it and refining it. 

7- Who has been the most influential person in your career?

The most influential person in my career has been my late grandmother. She really instilled some gems in me that I didn’t realize I needed. As I get older I recall so many conversations that’s helped me. She was pursuing in her old age a career of design, unfortunately her dreams weren’t completely realized while she was living, but she definitely influenced me to go after what I truly wanted in life.

8- If you had one piece of advice for your younger self what would it be? 

Be confident in your gifts that you contribute to the world, you are custom made.