This woman is kicking out glass ceilings and walking in her power as the youngest, Black female designer in the luxury shoe industry who owns 100% of her brand.
Meet Ganesia Wveighlin, 32, owner of CaesarWalks; a unique, expressive luxury shoe brand she founded in 2017. Wveighlin boldly stepped into the luxury shoe market with a vision and hasn’t looked back since.
Her shoes are like pieces of art and rest comfortably among the ranks of other luxury brands in the market like Gucci and Balenciaga.
The brand includes shoes for women and men with some handmade touches. Wveighlin studied shoemaking in 2019 so she could make her shoes by hand. Her education first started in Brooklyn and continued in London, England.
Wveighlin told ESSENCE the making of her shoe company was inspired by “a crazy idea… That a Black woman could create her own table in a male-dominated footwear market.”
She originally dreamt of becoming a model. She wanted to sign to Wilhelmina Models at 16, but her family didn’t support it. So, she switched lanes, still in the fashion industry, and earned her degree in economics from Clark Atlanta University.
When she launched CaesarWalks, she did it with intention. Her collection was named after Saint Plouscious, who is believed to be one of the first Black Roman saints. The collection featured handmade Italian velour fabric with a red silk insole.
“Maybe somewhere tucked in an old Italian primordial library, you will find a short chapter about him,” she told the outlet.
When asked about what sparked her interest in footwear, Wveighlin said she’s always had the interest.
“I am all about the details and quality of a ‘thing.’ Luxury shoes are known for their details and quality,” she said. “No detail out of place, no thread unraveled, no smeared outsole glue visible. A shoe without blemish and perfect craftsmanship.”
As a brand, it takes innovation to survive the industry, she said. Her brand keeps it fresh by designing their shoes.
“I love that our designs are unique,” Wveighlin said about CaesarWalks.
The talented and innovative designer said Black people have a competitive advantage in the market because “it’s common knowledge that Black people are the number one fashion consumers in America.”