The moon d’elle brand is a fusion of two sisters of Italian American heritage, with personalities as different as the shoes they design. Founders, Tabitha and Chandra, may have grown up together in Milan, Italy, and New York City, but their interests and skills diverge, meeting only to blend together to form moon d’elle. The story behind this brand, and its evolution, fits the shoes perfectly.
It was New Year’s Eve, 2018, and Tabitha and Chandra were on vacation in the Dolomites, looking for boots to wear that night. The boots needed to be comfortable, because the sisters would be doing a lot of walking, but they also had to be very stylish. Unfortunately, there was nothing the sisters found that met this criterion. Despite their disappointment, the sisters saw this as an opportunity and vowed to create their own boots. “The lightbulb clicked, and we cheered to a new brand.”
With that, moon d’elle was born. The name is a blend of Chandra, which means moon in Sanskrit, and Tabitha, meaning a gazelle. Since the idea for moon d’elle arose from a need for comfortable, yet fashionable boots, the sisters decided to design boots first. Having their roots in Italy, it was a natural choice to design and produce the boots there. All of the materials are locally sourced, and the shoes are expertly handcrafted by Italian artisans, and include memory foam padding insoles. Chandra and Tabitha personally test each pair of shoes, wearing them on streets and cobblestones, to ensure that they remain comfortable on any surface.
The designs for the boots and later, the shoes, reflected each sister’s personality, background and interests. Chandra has a musical theater and acting background, while Tabitha studied design. They united to do ballroom dancing together as a hobby for a while, and that activity was an inspiration for many of their shoe designs, including the Nebbiolina.
All of the moon d’elle shoes and boots are designed for comfort, and after wearing the Nebbiolina Tux Lusso heels for an extended period of time, I can personally attest to the wearability of these shoes. With padding in the soles, and the platform design, these shoes feel like you are walking on air. Once you wear moon d’elle shoes, you will be obsessed, as I am, and want to try another style.
For now, the sisters plan to continue adding different colors, more pumps and ballet flats to their collection. In the future they want to diversify to add handbags and men’s shoes. moon d’elle is a brand that was built with passion and 75% of the employees are female. The sisters believe in surrounding themselves with people who share their passion, and they pick their team wisely. This formula works and has brought them customers who are equally as enthusiastic about the brand.
Count me in!
Available: moondelle.com
