Breast cancer had been part of Fort Worth native Chaz Pilarcik’s family story for years. Her mother had been treated for the disease 16 years earlier and remained cancer-free until last year. Then, in mid-2025, Pilarcik received a phone call.

“She said, ‘I need to talk to you,’ ” Pilarcik tells PaperCity. “And that was it. I just knew.”

Her mother’s cancer had returned, sending Pilarcik’s family back into a fight they thought was behind them. Even with the life-altering diagnosis, her mother has remained positive and hasn’t let the illness define her.

Pilarcik credits her mother, a professional artist and interior designer, with inspiring her career as the founder and owner of CHAZLYN Boots, the celeb-loved luxury cowboy boot line known for sleek, straight shafts, striking designs, and comfortable rubber outsoles.

“We didn’t always align on fashion, but we both loved cowboy boots,” Pilarcik says.

As her mother underwent treatment, Pilarcik quietly spent six months creating Step With Her, a new CHAZLYN collection inspired by her mother’s art, personal style, and resilience. She kept the project a secret until surprising her mother with the finished designs this spring. The recently released line of limited-edition boots is complemented by silk scarves featuring her mother’s artwork and custom leather cardholders.

Blending Art and Fashion-Forward Western Footwear

Step With Her features a sculptural boot with tan leather framing a rising backdrop of pink, purple, and green floral watercolors — a bold display of her mother’s artwork. In line with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the collection’s second boot is soft pink, with two rising lines along either side adding contour and dimension.

“The design created challenges on the production side,” she says. “There were a lot of learning curves as we figured out the structural and technical side of this. Now that I know I can put anything onto leather, the world is really my oyster.”

The Step With Her release builds on her three-year-old brand that blends the Western influence of Pilarcik’s Fort Worth roots with the contemporary style she embraced after moving to Los Angeles.

“I would say my audience is the gal who lives in Texas and flies to Aspen or some little beach town. She’s somebody who lives in both worlds.”

Supporting Cancer Patients With a Launch Event at The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth

Pilarcik still remembers her mother’s reaction when she revealed the collection to her.

“She was just shocked,” Pilarcik recalls. “She also wasn’t feeling great that day. What I’ve learned through this process is to stay in the moment. You can’t think about two weeks from now because every day is different. One day, her treatment isn’t affecting her, and the next day she needs to go to the hospital. I do not have any control over this, and that’s a really hard pill to swallow.”

The launch party for Step With Her will take place from 6 pm to 8 pm at The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth on October 18. The evening will feature the new collection, along with her mother’s artwork, Pilarcik sharing her family’s story, a live performance by country artist Coffey Anderson, and food and drinks.

A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Joan Katz Cancer Resource Center. A portion of sales from the Step With Her line will also go toward her mother’s ongoing treatment costs.

“I picked the Joan Katz Foundation to work with because they provide complimentary services to [cancer] patients and families,” she says. “When you’re going through this, you just see a great foundation, and you want to support it. I saw what they’re doing, where the funds are going, and how they are giving back to the community.”