Article: This Is Castañer
This Is Castañer
THE START OF THE BRAND CASTAÑER AND ITS ESPADRILLES
Castañer's origin can be traced back to 1776, year in which Rafael Castañer, the family's first espadrille maker, was born. In 1927, Luis Castañer and his cousin Tomàs Serra founded the brand's first workshop.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Spain's Republican government nationalized the company, because espadrilles were regarded as a product of military interest. Soldiers were sent to fight at the front wearing "seven-ribbon espadrilles".
THE '60S & '70S, THE EXPANSION OF CASTAÑER
In the mid 1960s, the company underwent a generational shift, with Lorenzo Castañer, and his wife Isabel moving to the helm of the firm. They decided to refocus the business. The product itself was simple, but they added a bit of color. Now seen as an authentic Mediterranean product, it became a fashionable form of footwear, especially in the Nordic countries.
In the early 70s, Lorenzo and Isabel attended a trade fair in Paris, where fate was on their side. Three young Frenchmen came up to their stand, looked around and began to ask questions. Isabel recognized the one with the most thoughtful look: He was Yves Saint Laurent, who had been looking in vain for months for someone to make him a wedge espadrille.
"If Yves Saint Laurent wanted a wedge espadrille, a wedge espradille he would have!"
Lorenzo Castañer.
Castañer has been attracting top fashion houses and making them espadrilles ever since.
CASTAÑER NOWADAYS
Castañer opened its first own shop in Barcelona in 1994. This was soon followed by shops in Madrid, Paris, Saint Tropez, Tokyo and other cities in Spain and abroad, including some of the most emblematic locales in the Costa Brava like Llafranc and Cadaqués.
"The combination of intuition, hard work and enthusiasm, the influence of diverse markets and our collaboration with major brands keep us at the forefront of fashion year after year. This challenges us day after day, but we look towards the future with enthusiasm and the determination to hold true to our values."
