An American in Italy: George Esquivel Reimagines the Loafer for Fratelli Rossetti
By Josh Peskowitz
When Diego Rossetti, son of Renzo and CEO of Fratelli Rossetti, was looking to inject some fresh energy into his family's luxury house — a bastion of Italian shoemaking — he turned to an American. Within the first meeting with California native and CFDA Fashion Fund finalist George Esquivel, the two shoemakers decided to work together. And we got a sneak peek at the fruits of their labor during a presentation on Wednesday. Esquivel, whose handmade shoes have been garnering him serious attention, and collaborations with the likes of Maria Cornejo, welcomed the opportunity to work with an operation like Rossetti and over the course of only six months, they created a whole new look for the brand. "Some shoes are 110 percent Esquivel, some are 80 percent, some are 20 percent," George told us. "We had fun with the washing machines," added Diego. The results of the relationship mixed the best of both brands: Fratelli's expert construction and Esquivel's color and design accents (examples of Esquivel's take on the loafer pictured above). But what is this, exactly? A collaboration? Is Esquivel the designer for Fratelli? "He's part of the family," Rossetti affirmed.
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