About US
If you cut my veins, there's not blood coming out but shoes!"Jessica Tesorone's father-in-law, Luciano Tesorone-clanpatriarch and the man behind the Il Sandalo brand-said thisto her alter she married his son Fabio and joined the family
business. Forty years ago, Luciano started a small factory in Naples, then a flagship boutique in Sardinia, fashioning strappy sandals made popular by the glamorous likes of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Sophia Loren, and Audrey Hepburn on holiday. Fabio brought the brand Stateside eight years ago with headquarters in Palm Beach; another brother, Pier Paolo, designs the shoes and runs the factory back home.
"The sandals call out, 'Show me off wherever you go!'" says Jessica, who heads the U.S. operation with her husband.
"The Capri is my favorite-it's what Jacqueline Kennedy used to wear, and the design hasn't changed since then. You can dress them up. You can dress them down." Or you can dress them in your own way, thanks to an in-house cobbler who creates a custom pair (choose flat or wedge heel, from
nearly 100 styles, and embellishments like coral cabochons, gem-encrusted scahorses, or dangling charms) within the hour.
Sandals have become a way of life for the Tesorones, down to the youngest bambini. "Our son, Francesco, is only five, but when he's in the store, he'll say, "Would you like to try on some of these beautiful sandals?' or 'They match your shirt.' He's heard his father say that a million times," says Jessica. The family could use the help, given that the company has expanded recently, with outposts in Southampton and Nantucket; Nei-man Marcus begins carrying the line at the beginning of the new ycar. Jessica's secret to running a burgeoning business that spans two countries, in addition to raising a young family?
"Lots of espresso." -ALEXANDRA MACK