Daniel Charkow x Chantelle
Chantelle’s story
“The council spoke to me as if I was just a number or an animal.”
When Chantelle and her daughter became homeless, she felt as if no one cared. She used to leave the council office in floods of tears and struggled to secure any kind of permanent home from them.
After being pushed to breaking point, she decided to call Shelter – and it was the first time someone spoke to her like a human being:
“It made me feel warm. That one telephone call gave me comfort that was worth its weight in gold. I can’t thank Shelter enough.”
Today Chantelle is living in rented accommodation and has a greater sense of stability in her life. She’s now self-employed and working hard to build her own business.
Her daughter has even signed up to volunteer for Shelter – raising money so that anyone who’s struggling is treated with humanity, dignity and fairness.
Daniel’s inspiration
This shoe is inspired by Chantelle’s resilience, drive and independence throughout her battle with homelessness.
The gravity-defying straps suspended by magnetic force is a visual representation of the force and struggle Chantelle overcomes on a daily basis. The upper of the shoe wraps around the foot like a protective blanket portraying the warmth and comfort Shelter provided for Chantelle during her darkest days.
The shoe is completely lined with a custom designed floral print to showcase her feminine and infectious personality. All these different elements combined create a unique sculptural shoe that reflects the story of an inspiring woman, and therefore the only fitting name for the shoe is Chantelle.
Read Daniel’s blogs on the shoe development
Visit Shoes Have Names at New Brewery Arts
The exhibition is open from 30th January to 2nd April at New Brewery Arts. It’s free to visit.
Support Shelter charity shops
This exhibition first appeared at a Shelter boutique in London. We wanted to connect shopping, fashion and craft to tell stories of homelessness. Whenever you pre-loved donate clothes, or buy from us you’re helping Shelter fight the housing emergency that is devastating lives.
To donate clothing and items to our charity shops via post, for free, simply download a free postage label. Or you can find your local Shelter charity shop here.
To find out more about Shelter, click on the links below:
Shelter Website: http://england.shelter.org.uk/
Campaigning: http://england.shelter.org.uk/campaigns
Support us: https://england.shelter.org.uk/GetHelp
Get help: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help