No sooner had I received word from my boy Albert Yeh at Esquivel Shoes that the Vogue editors had declared George Esquivel’s natty lace-ups for women the new flats, when the next email up on my iPhone was news that Vogue editor Sarah Brown had wrapped up her bulletin on the influence of Marchesa Luisa Casati on Chanel’s Cruise 2009 by citing the new tome out this fall on the icon.
It’s always a thrill to receive promising news from friends, especially those so committed and talented at what they do. But I got goosebumps at these back to back emails.
George Esquivel and his crew put out a striking collection of shoes, cobbling old world craftsmanship right here in SoCal.
(I’m ahead of the curve on today’s posting thanks to the butter soft white leather and patent oxfords George made me that I've been strutting around in these last weeks.)
And, on the East Coast, my pals Scot Ryersson and Michael Orlando Yaccarino had the vision and patience to be guardians of Casati’s legacy and are behind this fall’s book, "The Marchesa Casati: Portraits of a Muse." Since introducing them to my Abrams editor a year ago, the pair have been on a wild ride--not in the least getting Karl Lagerfeld to contribute sketches to the project.
On either coast, couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys…and it’s only just begun...

Photo Credit: top, Chanel; bottom, A. Yeh