Soles Reborn

It was once estimated that an Hermès silk scarf is sold every 25 seconds. That’s over 1.26 million scarves per year. And while few would consider them the cutting edge of fashion anymore, as they were in the days of Marilyn and Jackie O, the flamboyantly patterned accessories are thought of as icons of prestige and heritage, with legions of devoted fans.

Michael Tonello seems to have predicted this. In the early days of the Internet he made a living flipping Hermès scarves to a cadre of collectors worldwide. In fact, he spent so much time in Hermès stores that he figured out the formula for scoring what to this day remains the ultimate grail — the iconic Birkin bag — which he documented in a best-selling book, Bringing Home the Birkin. Soon enough Tonello, who was a serial entrepreneur before we had a word for it, hit upon another idea: marrying designer scarves with espadrilles (with which he’d become enamored while living in Spain), swapping out the shoes’ traditional canvas for colorful Hermès silk.

Partnering with Chris Bartick, an artist, graphic designer, and branding expert whom he met in Provincetown, Tonello launched Respoke in 2015, offering espadrilles handcrafted in traditional artisanal workshops in La Rioja, Spain. Today, Respoke makes multiple styles of espadrilles (including slides and wedges) plus sneakers, hats, and decorative pillows. Everything is fashioned by Spanish artisans using scarves by Hermès, Gucci, Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, and others that Respoke acquires “globally at events, auctions, and some secret sources,” according to Bartick (who is now the sole proprietor; Tonello retired earlier this year). Each piece is one of a kind, and Bartick uses the remnants to create bespoke artworks as well. “The beauty of this product is that each time there are new prints and patterns,” he muses. “Every time you open a shoebox it’s like Christmas.”

Espadrilles and other items by Respoke are available at the brand’s boutiques in Provincetown, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Charleston, S.C., as well as at respoke.com and on select Silversea ships.

Rima Suqi is Further’s Style & Design Correspondent and the co-author of Kelly Wearstler: Evocative Style.