Re-Soled

For at least a decade, Michael Tonello and his husband, Juan Canal, had a tradition: every spring, they went out to buy new espadrilles. The first time Canal made the shopping suggestion was shortly after Tonello had moved to Barcelona from his native U.S. Tonello recalls asking his spouse why. His response? “Because in Spain, everyone wears espadrilles all summer. It’s just what you do.”

And that was that. Each year, as the weather got warmer, the couple picked out new summer shoes.

Eventually, however, Tonello came to a realization: the espadrilles on the shelves never changed. Sure, there were an array of colors, along with the occasional cheerful awning-like stripe. But as he puts it, “They were just kind of boring.” Then inspiration struck, and it came in the form of a vintage Hermès scarf.

The last time he had worn the classic accessory was New Year’s Eve 1992, at a black-tie dinner party in New York City. Since that night, says Tonello, “It sat in its little orange box for many years, and then it moved to Barcelona with me, where it got stuck in a dresser drawer.” He thought, what if there is a new life waiting for his designer scarf—in the form of shoes?

After reaching out to several local workshops, Tonello visited one in the small mountain village of La Rioja, Spain, where he was introduced to the many challenges of crafting shoes from silk. But instead of giving up, he left his three-hundred-dollar Hermès scarf at the workshop and said, “See if you can think of something.” They did, and when Tonello received his espadrilles in the mail, he was so happy with them that he posted a photo on Facebook. That image inadvertently created a frenzy of wannabe purchasers.

So, Tonello ordered 25 more pairs to be made in a similar fashion, and in a flash, they sold out via social media. “That’s when I realized there was a business here,” he says. In his opinion, everyone, at some point or another, has an idea, and it is most important to see it through. “Sometimes it’s a great idea, sometimes it’s not so great, but the big thing is that most people never bring their ideas to fruition,” says the entrepreneur.

He partnered with graphic designer Chris Bartick, and together, they created a brand for their products: Respoke. Tonello was well-versed in searching for one-of-a-kind items. When he first moved to Barcelona, he became an eBay reseller of luxury goods, an experience that inspired his 2008 best-selling book, Bringing Home the Birkin, about his hunt for the infamous and coveted Hermès Birkin bag. He knew that he and Bartick would have to commit passionately to unearthing their source materials.

Twice a year, they take whirlwind trips to France, Italy, and Spain to purchase large quantities of new Hermès, Gucci, Emilio Pucci, and Ferragamo silk scarves directly from each company. They also work throughout the year with major auction houses worldwide to source vintage and iconic silk from a range of designer brands.

Initially, their espadrilles, hand-stitched from designer scarves, sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, but in the ensuing six years, they annually launched a new retail location. They now have two in Provincetown, Massachusetts, one each on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, one in Southampton, New York, and their most recent shop in Charleston, South Carolina.

Each spring, the five seasonal Respoke stores in the Northeast reopen with entirely new inventory, while the old designs and unsold products are sent to the brand’s year-round South Carolina location. Every June through October, Tonello works alongside employees in one of the six boutiques. Recently, he was in Provincetown—the site of Respoke’s very first store—which, he says “has been wildly successful.” Tonello, who was raised on Cape Cod, is happy to be able to spend quality time near home when he returns there for business.

During the production of the espadrilles, remnants are saved and repurposed in fine art pieces created by Bartick. His colorful artwork includes paintings of whales’ tails and beloved landmarks—such as a Venetian gondolier or the Edgartown Light—each embellished with designer fabric. It’s not the only effort made to reduce waste—the company also reuses the large shoe-shipping cartons from Spain to send inventory to the Charleston Respoke store.

Sustainability was part of Tonello’s thought process when he first developed the concept for Respoke. As a bonus, he says, “We also created something unusual that did not look like anything else at the time.” He credits friends and employees with helping him and Bartick build the successful business that Respoke has become. One of those friends is Fern Mallis, the creator of New York Fashion Week, who helped the brand make its first connections with Bergdorf Goodman and has actively supported them since. “She has been a great voice for us,” he says.

But also worth honoring is Tonello’s own instinct and optimism. He seldom says no to a challenge for the sole reason that he dislikes negativity. “I always feel that when a door closes, a small window opens, and I always look at that small window as an opportunity rather than an obstacle,” he says. “I seize the opportunity and try to make it into something positive—and something great, if possible."