In Her Shoes

Ms. Nita Chauhan of Vincitore shares how she stepped in the right direction to find success in the finicky world of the footwear industry.

- Anton D. Javier

You could say that Ms. Nita Chauhan, designer, and owner of men’s luxury shoe brand, Vincitore ("winner" in Italian), was born into the business of footwear. She recalls, “I started my career in this industry at the young age of 18 because I was the daughter of the boss of a luxury shoe store. Unfortunately, I took this opportunity of working with him very lightly because my mindset then was that retail was a job for individuals who had no other path to pursue in their career.”

However, the operations of her father’s shoe store eventually ceased, followed by his passing. Ms. Chauhan admits that it wasn’t an easy journey, but the situation made her realize that she “was very comfortable working with family-run businesses.” The lessons learned along the way eventually made it clear that she was on the right path, proven by Vincitore’s success — it is expecting its third branch to officially open this year.

To find out what her journey was like in the unpredictable world of retail, we spoke to Ms. Chauhan and, in the process, learned how to properly purchase a pair of shoes and how to care for them so that they last for as long as they can.

What was the impetus for going back into the retail industry and starting your own brand, Vincitore?

I actually decided to quit retail and move into training. Since I am an associate trainer, I had some time on my hands so I decided to do my MBA in retail with a scholarship from SRA. I then took up a course in shoe construction and design because it was something I always had an interest in.