OUR STORY

Christopher Paunil’s bridal and evening collections embody his love of thoughtful design. His contemporary take on femininity, with an injection of personality results in beautiful dresses for those who are not afraid to make their mark on the world. The goal will always be to make womyn feel their most powerful and beautiful. The team at Christopher Paunil enjoy working directly from their Toronto studio with a diverse range of brides as well as some very fashionable clients internationally. Through the creation process, they are able to create warm, inviting and inspired experiences. The company continues to grow their network of retailers to bring more of Paunil’s beauty and ‘Made in Canada’ design to a global audience.

CHRISTOPHER PAUNIL

As an actively involved designer, Christopher Paunil is present in every stage of design development and execution, and he is most passionate about making beautiful, memorable garments. His broad range of experience dates back to 2003 when he first began his career designing dance costumes. From there, Christopher worked in other areas including bridal and evening wear. In 2010, with a total of 7 years of experience, Christopher was ready to launch his label with his business partner Chalo Hancock.

CHALO HANCOCK

Chalo Hancock is the strategic and business lead behind Christopher Paunil, bringing his extensive experience as an executive director, ability to build something from nothing, and general prowess in operations to the company. Chalo is responsible for the overall direction and growth for CPD.

Notable

A celebrity favourite, their glamourous designs have been seen on the red carpets of Hollywood movie premieres, Toronto Fashion Week, Keyshia Ka'Oir (The Mane Event), Laura Vandervoort (Bitten, Supergirl), Natasha Negovanlis (Carmilla), Natalie Brown (The Strain, Dark Matter), Stacey McKenzie (America’s Next Top Model), ET Canada’s Cheryl Hickey, Lauren Hammersley (Orphan Black, Mr D), and many more.

In 2017, Christopher Paunil was invited to be a part of the hip hop celebrity wedding of the year with Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’Oir of the hit reality show The Mane Event. The design team were presented with the challenge to create seven gowns for the bridal party within only five days. The wedding was covered internationally by every major entertainment publication.

They have also been featured in countless national and international media outlets, including the likes of Brides.com, ELLE (US), Page Six, VOGUE Italia, Wedding Bells, ELLE Quebec, Dress to Kill, Hello! Canada, Toronto Life, Best Health, CTV News, Global News, National Post, Toronto Star, The Kit, and Huffington Post.

Both Paunil and Hancock are actively involved with the youth arts charity UforChange which is funded by the generous donations from the city’s philanthropic community and has received support from His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, which was also a Canadian Arts and Fashion Award (CAFA) nominee for social impact. Paunil was also finalist of the prestigious TFI New Labels competition, and recipient of the coveted The Knot Editor’s Pick.