Meet Cha’Nice Gunn | Custom Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cha’Nice Gunn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cha’Nice, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I know when to give up when I’ve given something the benefit of the doubt multiple times and it still has not worked in my favor. However, I will choose to keep going before choosing to give up. I explore my different options and take into consideration any possible benefits and effects before I proceed with my decisions. If it is something that I know can and will benefit me in a way, I will keep working towards it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Chanique Boutique was established in 2018 but relaunched this year back in June. Long story short, I thought I was prepared to run my business until I started business school back in 2019, which proved to me otherwise, hence, why I relaunched this year. I took these past few years to reevaluate what I specifically wanted to do and service. I am currently still in school for business and I plan on taking all the knowledge I gain from it to help Chanique Boutique grow as a brand. When I first established Chanique Boutique, I thought I just wanted to get a vendor and sell clothes. But then, I began having the urge to want to sell products I knew no one else could find in-store or online. That’s when I convinced myself to become a custom fashion designer. I felt it was time to use the creative skills I’ve been blessed with and implement them into my business. But I was inexperienced with making clothes from scratch. However, that’s what sets me apart from others. I personally, do not like to label myself as a fashion designer at this moment. It’s because I feel that there are high expectations when you hear “fashion designer.” When you hear someone say they are a fashion designer, nine times out of ten, you’re going to assume they went to school for fashion design. Well, I am the opposite of that. I am a self-taught fashion designer who specializes in custom clothing. I went from teaching myself how to hand-sew, to using a sewing machine, to just making my own pieces. Additionally, I do not draw out my designs like most fashion designers do. All of my work comes from the creative mind of mine. Chanique Boutique’s mission is to be different while providing affordable, top-quality pieces. As my slogan states, “Only you’ll have it.” Stemming from that, it is a part of why I make my designs off the top of my head. As much as I’d like to surprise my audience with my custom pieces, I love surprising myself as well. It kind of gives me a great boost to keep going. It also reminds me that I am representing the meaning behind my brand of being “different.” My custom pieces aren’t meant to be the same. I want my audience to express themselves in different ways and fashion, is one of the most common ways they can do that. Right now, I mostly specialize in custom denim. My custom denim pieces are the most attention-grabbing to my audience. That is where most of my creativity gets brought out as I brainstorm when making my custom denim pieces. However, I work with other fabrics outside of denim. I am excited for everyone to see what I have in store!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am from Cleveland, Ohio. If I were to show my best friend around, I would probably take her to areas like Crocker Park and Pinecrest. They are filled with upscaled restaurants and retail stores to enjoy. The scenery is beautiful out in those areas. There are so many different sceneries and backgrounds you can capture nice pictures and videos. If you go to Pinecrest in Orange Village, OH, I’d definitely recommend going to the Silverspot Cinema. It is a big movie theater that features luxurious reclining seats and upscale food that you can dine in while watching your movie. They also serve adult beverages. Isn’t that cool? For any fun hangouts, whether it’s for the day or night time, I would recommend Downtown Cleveland. You can find lots of local bars and clubs/lounges to hang out. Downtown Cleveland is also the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Browns. Why not go enjoy a day of tailgating at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Stadium? They host a lot of concerts there too. Downtown Cleveland is the perfect place to go for any big, major events.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shout-out to Malika. She owns Malika’s Mystique Wine, you may locate her online at Malikasmystiquewine.com. Malika has displayed a huge amount of support as I have relaunched Chanique Boutique this year. She has invested in and sponsored Chanique Boutique on multiple occasions to help gain customers. I thank her so much for the unconditional love and support of Chanique Boutique. She has given me insights and tips on how to navigate my business through the industry as an upcoming fashion designer and has even referred me to local business owners on how to market and promote Chanique Boutique effectively. Outside of that, she is just always encouraging me to never give up and work hard for what I want. I appreciate you so much Malika. You guys go check her out!

Website: chaniqueboutique.com

Instagram: Chanique.boutique

Facebook: Chanique Boutique

Other: Tik Tok: @Chanique Boutique