The Faryl Factor
Going all in, footwear designer Faryl Robin Gilston makes a home for herself in NoMad.
When Faryl Robin Gilston, founder of Faryl Robin Footwear, was looking for a new home in New York City, she intuitively knew that NoMad was place. “It is the center of the universe,” she said. “From architecture to food to fashion, NoMad feeds my soul in a way that allows me to create what’s next in footwear.”
Her apartment, which looks out on the Empire State Building, has been both creative hub and sanctuary for the last seven years. Gilston takes full advantage of what the neighborhood has to offer — she spends time with Beckham, her golden doodle, in the Madison Square Park dog park, takes classes at Flatiron Pilates, and enjoys every moment she can at Eataly. “I must have been Italian in another life,” she said. “Shopping and eating there feels like home.”
Endlessly inspired by New York’s cultural patchwork, Gilston’s belief that “no one can make shoes for women better than a woman” has propelled her now 21-year-old business into one of the largest independent footwear companies in the world. In Gilston’s eyes, however, the story of her namesake company is just beginning.
No one gets from small start-up to the executive suite without a lot of hard work, and in so many ways, it is Gilston’s unique perspective and determination that has enabled her to establish a corporate culture that strives to empower women with every step they take. In an industry that is not known for any of that, Gilston’s accomplishments truly are noteworthy.
“During those early years, I was operating in survival and fear mode,” she said. “I had borrowed $10,000 from my mother and was determined to pay her back and maintain my independence.” A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Gilston also studied footwear design at the esteemed Arsutoria School in Milan, Italy. Knowing she wanted to leverage her education in accessory design and marketing into starting her own company, she spent the next 15 years learning the business from the ground up before gathering the nerve to launch her own private label footwear business in 2002.
“It hasn’t all been an easy ride, but I believe in making hard choices for the long game and using challenging times to add details and improve product quality, rather than cutting corners to make a profit,” she explained. “My father taught me from the time I could speak that my word is only as good as the action that follows. Integrity, honesty and doing the right thing are in the DNA of the company. We take our legacy very personally.” That strategy has been one of the keys to her success, enabling her to repay the original loan from her mother many times over with a 50% stake in the company. And, she says, none of it would be possible without the skill and support of company president Jim Biolos and their team of over 30 employees. “They are a kind, brave group that operates with the utmost dignity,” she added.
Today, the Faryl Robin team is known as a respected partner by both its customers and factories. The company manufactures footwear for some of the largest retailers in the world, including Amazon and Target. In a competitive field, they are thriving and delivering beautifully-designed, high-quality, well-priced footwear, and most importantly, a strong commitment to women’s empowerment, diversity, sustainability, and philanthropy. Work smarter and harder seems an appropriate motto.
Early in the company’s history, Gilston realized there was a need in the market for larger-sized and adaptive-styled footwear. Because most brands manufacture women’s shoes in sizes 6-11 and because footwear is a sku-intensive business, it is more expensive and less profitable to make extended sizes. Gilston found that the market for feminine styles in larger sizes at an affordable price was ready for someone to step in and fill the gap. Many of those in marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ population, were forced to shop in the men’s department to find shoes to fit their feet.
Gilston drew on her knowledge of footwear manufacturing and invested in lasts and components that would allow her to expand her size offerings, and she encouraged her retailers to offer the larger sizes. The bet paid off as grateful consumers showered the team with letters of thanks and rave reviews. In 2018, she partnered with Zappos to launch Faryl by Faryl Robin, a line of trend-right and affordable shoes in sizes 5-16. She strongly believes that all her customers “should have an opportunity to feel valued and that everyone should have the chance to feel empowered and confident.”
As a mother of two young adults, Gilston has long been a proponent of flexible scheduling. She continues to encourage her team to arrange their schedules in a way that will accommodate their lives. As a hands-on executive, she has spent much of her career traveling to the company’s production facilities overseas and is no stranger to red-eye flights to get home to her kids. And now that home is one that brings a sense of joy and satisfaction to her life.
“One of the things I love about this neighborhood is the fact that everything I could possibly want is right here. This is a beautiful apartment with an iconic view and a modern interior. Everything I need is at my fingertips. And the doorman and the pool are a great perk.”
Gilston is excited for the future — in every aspect of her life. “We started this company thinking differently than others, and really remained loyal and true to that mission,” she said. “This is very much independently ours. The realization that this has created our success is incredibly rewarding. The future can look any way we want it to. I believe that. If we build it, they will come.”