TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY & LAURA WOOD
Images, Richard Spiegel
DAY TWO - 240 West 35th Street, the Garment Center, NYC
Designer George Esquivel's exquisite hand crafted shoes, are a hit with an elite clientele including high-profile celebrities. His reticence in bragging about his celebrity clientele goes against the S.O.P [standard operating procedure] of designers and their publicists shouting out from the rooftops who their famous clients are. This designer is refreshingly discreet on the matter.
Esquivel shoes are for the in the know crowd who truly appreciate
quality workmanship. Mr. Esquivel hand polished and treats each pair of shoes, spending an average of 6-8 hours perfecting a pair. He starts with "nude leather", which is the same leather Louis Vuitton uses for its straps.
The couture-like experience continues when you go to the salon to purchase a pair. We liked the description of his LA store/salon on 3rd street, behind Beverly Center. which sounds delightfully genteel.
COLLABORATIONS play a big part in Mr. Esquivel's business.
Esquivel works well with others. Although he's only in his 2nd year of
wholesale, this season he has collaborations with Zero+ Maria Cornejo,
Timo Weiland, Loden Dager, Antonio Berardi and Juan Carlos Obando. The thigh-high lace-up shoe covers he did for Juan Carlos Obando were sheer genius. Okay, it took 45 minutes to get them on the models, but sometimes you DO have to suffer to be beautiful and sexy.
AN ADDED PLUS: these shoes are made domestically.
Price point
men's - $600-900
women's - $700-2000
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