Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Dillon.
Hi Abigail, 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 backstories with our readers?
I am a Custom Sneaker Designer and Cordwainer.
A Cordwainer is someone who makes shoes from scratch. Like scratch, scratch. It is predominantly a boys club but there are a handful of women in the industry making some noise. I’ve been an Artist for as long as I can remember, Because I had no access to art supplies growing up, I colored or doodled on anything I could get my hands on.
My clothes and sneakers became my canvas of choice in my early teenage years. I altered or tweaked everything I wore. So it made sense that I would study Fashion in college, and that’s what I did. After college, I started as an Assistant Buyer for a major department store in Houston. There, I learned the business of fashion but I did not have the creative freedom I desperately craved and needed for my happiness.
I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush to work on a canvas until I was in my Twenties but when I did, I was in love. It was then that I started selling my paintings and switched careers to Art, full time. I focused on Hyperrealistic paintings and enjoyed multiple gallery exhibits and events.
My love of sneakers nor my desire to create the uncreated never faded though. So that long-standing love and my passion for Art collided into what is now my reality. I was painting sneakers beginning a few years back. I was able to produce what was, I felt, meaningful art ON a sneaker.
But over 2 years ago, I got the chance to take a class and learn to make Art that was a sneaker. So now I have the honor of actually making sneakers from scratch to toe!
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?
There have been a few bumps along the way. One obstacle that I faced was learning to incorporate Social Media into my business. We know that maximizing your brand via social media is absolutely essential to the success of a small business.
But creating content, minding the algorithms, and keeping up with trending this or that was not something I learned in college. It was almost a foreign language to me. When I graduated from The University of Houston, I thought I had all the book knowledge I needed to be successful (and then along came Social Media.).
Determined to not let something as little as the entire internet stop me, I began my research. I watched TikTok, read tips, and asked lots of questions. I also made small alterations to my studio making it easier to capture my creative process for content.
I know I have lots more to learn but learning and evolving will always be an ongoing process for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make Art. And I approach each hand-crafted pair of custom sneakers as I do all my artwork, beginning with a story I want to tell.
I take a lot of inspiration from my surroundings in Miami. Sometimes I can catch a glimpse of a mural while driving or I stop and watch wild peacocks in the neighborhood near my studio. The lights of South Beach at night, palm trees, and the ocean also influence my sneaker designs.
Once I settle on a concept for the sneaker design, that concept is translated into a preliminary mock-up and I get to select the materials to further convey the concept of the sneaker. The texture, color, and weight of each material are all taken into consideration.
Understanding how leather behaves and knowing how various fabrics are constructed and age are critical to the wearability of the sneaker. Each component of the sneaker is then cut, hand-crafted, and sewn into the upper for the sneakers. I personally do each of these steps in my studio.
I think my craftswomanship, unique and inventive material choices, and sophisticated color palettes are what set me apart from other sneakers Cordwainers. I really do try to produce combinations of colors and textures that don’t already exist in the sneaker marketplace.
Being a sneaker Cordwainer, I get to fill the gap in the market for women and men looking for a 1 of 1 custom sneaker and personalized experience.
I have to say what I’m most proud of, after 20 years as an Artist, is the fact that I didn’t give up on myself. Every day ain’t sunny. Some days rain must fall and some days you get struck by lightning. But no matter how bad I wanted to, I never threw in the towel.
I know life is tough but I’m tougher.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that no one owes me anything. Not a thing. With that in mind, I work harder than anyone I know. That also make me grateful for every opportunity I’ve ever been given, both personal and professional.
In any male-dominated industry, there traditionally hasn’t been space for women at the proverbial table where decisions are being made and networks are being formed. I spent so much time, hoping for someone to just leave a little opening for me at that table. Or maybe just leave the door to the meeting room open. Hell, just point the meeting room out for me! But no one owes me that. And that’s okay because I’m capable of thriving on my own merits.
The incomparable Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Author of “Unbought and Unbossed” said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” I hope you’d be pleased to know Congresswomen, I’ve earned my own table.
Thank you so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ArtOfAWoman.co
- Instagram: @ArtOfAWoman1
Image Credits
Jahkata Lloyd
