The espadrille is a Spanish construction built on a rope sole... Espadril imports its soles from Spain, but sources most of its other components locally.
Handmade Espadril: A touch of the Med
Published: 9th Feb 2022
Patricia Terre is Spanish. With local Rizqah Isaacs, she co-founded Handmade Espadril in 2014. She studied fashion styling at Central Saint Martins in London and both worked in retail with first line and luxury brands for years. "We lived surrounded by some of the most exclusive brands in the world, which taught us everything we know about quality."
Patricia Terre (left) is Spanish, her partner Rizqah Isaacs is South African...both have backgrounds in luxury goods.
What is the inspiration for your brand/styling/concept?
Our aim is to nurture and maintain the old traditional way in which espadrilles were made for centuries in the Mediterranean countries, specially Spain. An art that has mostly disappeared.
Do you sell via social media only or do you also supply retailers?
Social media is the face of your business, we focus a lot on ours, it is the key for brand communication. We get most of our direct sales from this, although we have a number of retailers around South Africa and some other countries in Southern Africa. We have also just started selling in the U.S.A where we have a distributor and we are most excited about this.
How dependent are you on the tourist trade?
We used to be very dependent on the tourist trade. When Covid 19 hit South Africa we quickly had to find a way to adjust, which was challenging and difficult but we feel lucky that this happened as it forced us to evolve into a much better version of ourselves.
Do you manufacture or source locally or do you import?
We import the jute soles from Spain and most of the other materials used are sourced locally. The manufacturing process happens here, at our studio in Cape Town.
If you manufacture locally, are there any problems with availability of components and/or services, and what are they?
It was very challenging at first. We did a lot of research and drove around for hours trying to find the right suppliers for leather, packaging, laces and everything else we need in order to produce a proper shoe. But after doing this for 7 years we found our way around it. Still, mostly everything is imported and we are at the mercy of Customs most of the time.
Do you need any assistance to grow your business, and if so, what and from who?
In our case, due the artisan nature of our production, it is difficult to scale up. We are focusing on this at the moment. We will soon partner with a manufacturer in Spain so we can increase our production capacity. We are also wanting Espadril to become a global brand. We want girls around the world to live the Mediterranean dream… We are looking for international partners and distributors to help us achieve this.
We intend to continue a small part of our manufacturing line here in SA.
Do you see the opportunity to increase that? Yes, definitely.
- Bertier Customs: Handmade, to a different dimension
Shoemakers who know Jean Teplitsky genuflect when they mention his name. He, however, is quite humble. What is the inspiration for your brand/styling/concept? My inspiration is contemporary style integrated with classic techniques elevating the product to the highest level, while always trying to balance comfort, aesthetic and q ...moreProject Dyad: Merging traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design
Project Dyad, Leather goods manufacturer, was co-founded by Jessika Balzer and Vincent Urbain. In this issue, Jessika answers our questions. ...moreFreedom of Movement: Aiming for a globally recognised South African lifestyle brand
Freedom of Movement, clothing, footwear, leather goods, eyewear and timepiece brand sourced locally and imported, was co-founded by brothers Brothers Léan and Roal Boezaart. In this issue, Léan answers our questions. ...moreThis article s part of a series of articles that are published in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine
- Where quality and innovation come first, second, third...This was intended to be a one-off feature, but it's become clear that there are many more businesses - and many more takes on how to do business - than could be included in a single issue. So now the intention is to make this a regular segment in the monthly magazine. As an introduction, it seems to S&V that there are 2 parallel leath ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- An industry with distinctive material riches, unable to sufficiently convert them into finished goods in a world class way“The project’s purpose,” said Courtney Grant, “is to be a robust, evidence-based strategy to address the leather and general goods sector’s challenges and unlock its growth potential.”The main headings of her presentation were:Creating the groundwork for a National Leather and General Goods Strategy:Fro ...moreSAFLEC AGM 2026: A year marked by resilience
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome all our members and stakeholders to the 24th Annual General Meeting of the South African Leather & Footwear Export Council (SAFLEC).The Annual General Meeting provides us with an opportunity not only to reflect on the performance of the Council over the past financial y ...moreKen Riches: Reflections on an extraordinary life: Those who can, do – those who can do it even better, teach
It’s been 18 years this month since Ken Riches died. Here is a glimpse into what lay under that fairly protective exterior.Ken Riches, one of our country’s true footwear experts, passed peacefully on to that final production line in the sky on 11 August 2008. He had lived through the rapidly changing times from just after the ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- ‘FMD is here to stay – we have to learn to live with it and manage it’
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – FMD is no longer a series of isolated outbreaks; it has become a national systemic risk, and we need to shift our mindset from emergency response to living with and managing FMD responsibly. The pressure is already showing in the numbers. Our latest figures show cattle slaughter down 12% and sheep slaughter d ...moreLuxury or notWe hear from all sides that the leather industry is not doing too well and the conflict in the Middle East is definitely not improving the situation. The present wars have a huge impact on inflation and hence on the buying power of consumers with negative consequences for the luxury industry whose shares we have seen tumbling at the vario ...moreZimbabwe Leather Development Council lobbies for Government contracts
The Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC) is lobbying policymakers to open up public procurement contracts to local leather manufacturers, arguing that Government contracts are essential to reviving the country’s struggling leather value chain.Speaking on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZIC ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Statistical shape modelling for population-specific respirator design: Addressing fit failure in South African populations
Respirators are widely regarded as the last line of defence against hazardous airborne exposures. Whether protecting healthcare workers from tuberculosis, laboratory personnel from infectious samples, or workers exposed to carcinogenic dusts and fumes, respirators are often relied upon when other controls cannot eliminate exposure. This r ...moreOccupational noise-induced hearing loss ‘is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world’
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world*. 16% of all disabling hearing loss in adults is due to noise exposure.It’s also expensive. According to one study, it costs US$242 million in annual compensation in the USA. In the UK, the typical cost per claim in the is £ ...morePerformance testing: Building credibility in the modern apparel and footwear market
The lines between protective wear, sportswear, outdoor apparel, wellness clothing and everyday fashion continue to blur. Consumers increasingly expect garments and footwear to deliver more than style alone. Whether purchasing workwear, running apparel, outdoor footwear, school shoes or everyday casual products, buyers now look for comfort ...more
© S&V Publications
