¡Hola!
Respoke was conceived and co-founded by Hermès aficionado Michael Tonello and myself, a career artist, graphic designer, and branding expert in a quest to infuse the beauty and glamor of an Hermès scarf into espadrilles—footwear that was birthed hundreds of years ago in Spain as a simple field shoe. In recent history, espadrilles morphed into a stylish summer go-to shoe for Spaniards, yet often lacked the vibrant colors and artistry found on designer scarves.
We were able to find workshops owned by multi-generational craftspeople that could create our first classic espadrille made with Hermes's Eperon D'Or scarf.
The positive response to Respoke’s reinvention of classic espadrilles led our team to develop additional models and product categories that could be “Respoked” with designer scarves from a multitude of iconic design houses like Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Emilio Pucci, and more.
Every piece is handcrafted and every piece is one-of-a-kind. Respoke works with multiple Spanish village workshops to create each part of the footwear and artisans throughout the United States to create our other categories.
After realizing that we yield very beautiful and interesting offcuts from the shoe making process, I begin creating the artworks now found in all Respoke boutiques. The subject matter tends to be iconic in nature—just like the scarf prints themselves.
Respoke exemplifies sustainable luxury with an emphasis on repurposing, upcycling, and integrating natural materials.
All Respoke products are unique because they are produced from different sections of the scarf. Each piece carries more value and self-identity than its original form.
Hasta la próxima,
Chris Bartick
Respoke Founder
OUR PROCESS STORY
RESPOKE FOR GOOD