Random Questions For…George Esquivel

George Esquivel has been designing high-end custom made shoes since 1994.  The Los Angeles native, who learned his craft the old-fashioned way (by apprenticing to a local cobbler) claims Oscar winners, heads of state and “rock royalty” among his clientele, and he isn’t exaggerating: No Doubt, Janelle Monae, The Killers and Kings of Leon are just a few of his better known clients.  No wonder he cites rock and roll as the main inspiration for his rugged-yet-refined footwear collection, which is crafted from the same Italian leather used by Louis Vuitton but marries the luxe material with edgy silhouettes in unusual, hand-burnished color combos – an Esquivel signature.

As a kid, it was what he didn’t have that inspired Esquivel to want to design one-of-a-kind kicks.  “I think that what I experienced growing up pushed me in the direction of shoes,” he explained.  “Probably the main factor, even before I was able to really get into fashion or find my personal style, was the fact that I never had really cool or quality shoes. With my father always in and out of jail and spending all his money on drugs, we could never afford cool shoes. We always wore the fakes. I remember being very envious of the kids that had the cool shoes.”

In fact, he adds, “the first purchase I ever made with my own money that I worked for was a pair of burgundy Chuck Taylor high tops when I was 14 years old.”

Today, Esquivel can buy as many pairs of sneakers as he wants, and his dedication to his craft has earned him a 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nomination, an experience that fills him with “absolute joy, a sense of awe and an entirely new level of excitement.”

His A-list clients are equally excited about the fact that their favorite shoemaker – who still crafts all his shoes by hand in his SoCal studio - is being recognized by the fashion industry.  “I’ve known George for years,” Gwen Stefani told us during Fashion Week.  “I’m so happy for him because he’s so talented and he’s done so well.  I have a pair of Esquivel boots. They’re gorgeous and I wear them all the time!”

The Fashion Informer sat down with the talented, sweet natured designer a few days after his Fashion Week presentation to discuss footwear, fatherhood and the importance of family.

So, George…

Where is the most unusual/unlikely place you've found inspiration for your work? 
I remember sitting at a restaurant at an old table, and as I ate I started noticing how beautiful the grain and scratches looked on the table. Since then I have tried to match my soles to the image in my head of the table.

What is your favorite band/song of all time?
Much too hard of a question to answer; I love so many bands/songs for so many reasons. If I can list 20 then maybe I could break it down for you a bit better.

What was your childhood nickname, and what is your nickname today?
Growing up it was Georgie. I don’t have one now. 

What is the most rewarding - and challenging - thing about fatherhood?
Watching my kids grow up is the most rewarding and the most challenging. I also want to add that watching them grow up is also the greatest feeling - and at times also one of the saddest feelings - I have ever experienced.

What is the one grooming item you cannot live without?
 My hair clippers, I love getting a hair cut.

Beverage of choice?
Cranberry juice and sparkling water.

Favorite getaway spot?
The hills near my home, I enjoy mountain biking. It helps clear the mind and lets me blow off the cares of the world for a few hours. 

How do you relax/recharge after a long, hard day?
Hanging out with my wife and kids and experiencing the everyday duties of family life is very relaxing to me.

Tell me about your best friend.
My best friend has shared with me all of the tough times and great times. She has supported me when it was tough to find people that did. She encouraged and had faith in me when other people didn’t. I can count on her for anything. She is a loving, caring mother and an amazing wife. She is a beautiful person inside and out.  Her name is Shelley Esquivel.

What is the greatest/most important lesson your parents taught you?
My father, as crazy and wild as he was, I learned a lot from him. I learned what type of man/father and businessman not to be. He was very dishonest and loved to take what wasn’t his and he hadn’t worked for. I knew at a very young age that I never wanted to be that. My Mom was a very honest woman. She taught me to work hard, treat people fairly, stay humble and love your fellow man. She also gave me the best advice I have ever been given: Trust in God, work hard and everything will turn out all right.

What is your personal favorite item of clothing/jewelry and why is it so special to you?
I have a Seiko diver’s watch that my then-girlfriend, now-wife gave to me on my 19^th birthday. It has a lot of character from scratches and dings from all the years of wear. This is the same type of watch that I saved my money to purchase when I was 14.  I wore it for a few months, then my father asked to borrow it. He pawned it, I never got it back and he most likely used the money for drugs.

What would you like to be doing if you weren't designing shoes?
I used to think that I only had one other thing I might love to do instead of working with shoes and leather:  Work with wood building tables, chairs, desks etc. But I recently took a tour of DreamWorks and watched the animators create the characters I was thoroughly impressed. Should I have it to do again, I think I would try that path. In the future I would like to get more involved and support causes that help at risk youth and single moms that are in bad situations. 

What's the last book you read, and would you recommend it?
Walking Dreams, a book about Salvatore Ferragamo. I enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend it. Amazing what he accomplished in such a short period of time. The Success of Robert Fitzgibbons is a children’s book with a great lesson to be learned.

When you were 9, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up, I didn’t have dreams or aspirations of who I wanted to be. The role models I had were not positive and nobody told me that anything was possible. I knew what I didn’t want to be. It wasn’t until I was about 20 years old that I became more driven and started searching for things that might interest me and I could do as a profession.

What type of shoes do you like to see on women?  On men?
My first choice is always my shoes, but if it’s not my shoes…  On women, I would say something unique that fits their personality. That may be a broken-in riding boot, a vintage cowboy boot or a sophisticated court shoe.  As long as they wear the shoes and the shoes don’t wear the woman. On men, I like unique shoes that show they invested some time and energy in seeking out something special. What I don’t like to see on men is clunky, black, square toed, rubber soled shoes or shoes and boots that are so adorned they should be worn by parade cowboys.

What freaks you out?
People that try too hard: head-to-toe in one brand or with logos on every piece of their clothing and accessories. When I see people dressed like this they remind me of cartoon characters. You don’t notice the person you notice their outfit.  

When are you happiest?
When I fall asleep and when wake up in the morning, I have the same feelings:  Knowing I’m about to fall asleep next to my wife and my kids are down the hallway asleep. In the morning I get the same joyful feeling knowing I just woke up from sleeping next to my wife and my kids are down the hallway asleep. Growing up, things were so chaotic that just going to bed and waking up was crazy and unstable. As time has passed I’ve learned to appreciate the simple things in life.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For…Alexa Chung