Welcome to our Press Kit!

Macy’s welcomes the 2024 class of The Workshop at Macy’s, the retail industry’s longest-running vendor accelerator program designed to propel underrepresented brands to the next level by providing retail industry knowledge, resources, and tools.

You have to make sure you have your trademark and protect your baby by all means necessary because, in business, it's all for grabs.

“We definitely cater to business women, but I really want to tap into a community that truly needs what we have to offer that a lot of people don’t spotlight,” Edwards said.

"As women of color, sometimes we enter spaces where there aren’t many of us present. It can be intimidating, but there is a reason why you deserve a seat at the table."

"You can’t say the right thing to the wrong person and you can’t say the wrong thing to the right person." Listen to today's podcast with Ahriana Edwards to find out who told her this and so much more about her journey.

Growing up, people are always told that if you keep grinding and don’t give up, you will accomplish your goals. There are many business owners who are walking testimonies of that. One example is Ahriana Edwards. She founded a size-inclusive footwear brand and now the brand will be featured in one of the world’s largest department stores.

Edwards’ company, Valia Shoes, was birthed in response to a lack of size inclusion from other existing brands. In an Instagram post, the Gen Z CEO says, “there’s no credit I can give to anyone except the man above.”

“It’s surreal,” Edwards said of her shoes being sold at Macy’s this season. “Coming from so outside of retail and thinking that this was something so far in advance for me, it’s so fulfilling. And the most fulfilling thing about it was me just flashing back to younger me because I needed that. I needed to walk into a store and not have my size be a thing.

The Macy’s launch serves as a huge affirmation to Vaila’s existence and to my own personal experiences as a woman with an extended shoe size,” Vaila CEO, Ahriana Edwards, said.

Ahriana Edwards, is not only living her best life after reaching her life long dream, she is helping other women in a certain foot size demographic live theirs, as well.

Where other people see problems, Black women see the potential for solutions. Such was the case for 23-year-old Ahriana Edwards, who, upon realizing the blind spot of brands that failed to cater to women who wear shoe sizes 9 through 14, created Vaila Shoes. And now, only one year later, her decision to pursue her dream full-time is paying off.

“Ahriana is so inspiring creating a business that will help others feel their best having shoes that will support their shoe size that currently isn’t supported much in the marketplace,”

“It took a lot of grit to be a 23-year-old founder pulling off this six-figure contract,” Edwards expressed. “I experienced the most difficulty raising funding for this partnership, but I kept persisting and doing whatever it took to make it work.”

It is my goal to achieve size inclusivity in the women’s footwear space, one dress shoe at a time. Therefore, we really want to enter spaces where dress shoes are needed the most.""

Sid and Dina discuss inclusive fashion that goes beyond sizing with fashion expert Jessica Panetta. Starting with inclusive shoe brand - Vaila Shoes

"Whenever I didn’t have a solution to solve my problem or desire, I always found a way to get it done. So even as a young girl – I believe entrepreneurship was naturally engraved in me."

"I want to be the entrepreneur that was not afraid to step into overlooked spaces and create platforms for the underserved, undervalued, and under-appreciated. My legacy doesn’t just stop at shoes, it goes further to give back to my community, empower them to create better lives for themselves, and create spaces in which they can be successful."

"At Vaila, we are redefining beauty and inclusiveness within the women’s footwear industry"

"Whether you are working for a Fortune 500 company or running your own business, you should be able to buy and wear fashionable heels to carry you through your day"

I am someone who has always had a larger foot than the average woman and for years it has left me feeling left out, frustrated, and baffled.

I don't want my future child to have to go through an identity crisis or feeling insecure for something that's not on the shelf

I had to be in spaces with and learn from Black women who understood the vision and why I felt the need to create Vaila shoes.

You can’t say the right thing to the wrong person, and you can’t say the wrong thing to the right person. If you are your authentic self – someone, somewhere will feel that energy and they will get your company and they will get you as a founder. You are enough - and sometimes you have to realize that the rooms that you’re in may not be enough for you.. and that’s okay!