George Esquivel
George Esquivel was born and raised in Southern California, and it’s still home base. With no formal training but a head full of '90s SoCal Punk and Rock and a heart the scene inspired, he made his first pair of shoes in 1994 and has been honing the craft ever since.
Recognition followed. In 2009, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund named him a finalist, and the following year he became a CFDA member. In 2012, Vogue named him one of its "120 Most Influential Designers." He went on to serve as Creative Director for the luxury travel brand Tumi, and has collaborated with global names including Fratelli Rossetti, Chloé, Tommy Hilfiger, J.Crew, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Paris Saint-Germain, Tutima, Simon Pearce, and New Balance. His work has drawn worldwide press in Vogue, GQ, Esquire, Robb Report, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and the London Financial Times, and his designs have been showcased at LACMA, the Grammy Museum, and at fashion weeks in New York, Milan, and Paris.
Today, his atelier and namesake brand, Esquivel, specializes in handmade women's and men's footwear and accessories — styles that marry classic and modern design with a twist of Southern California casual sophistication. Over the years, Esquivel has designed for global icons, titans of industry, Oscar and Grammy winners, world champions, and royalty.
The hardship of a tumultuous childhood never left him — and it shapes how he gives back to community, through ongoing work with nonprofit organizations and Esquivel X, the arm of the brand that carries that mission forward.
