In the era of social media, it is easy for sprouting companies to broadcast their inspirations and make it look like they’re authentically building a brand in the same vein. If you take away the use of media platforms it is a parody that often doesn’t land. Vandel, established by Álvaro Sahún Pacheco and Pedro Ariño is different. An economist and dental surgeon by trade, together they have masterminded a label that perfectly embodies the spirit of the gentlemanly racer; no mean feat considering their well-known penchant for repeated risk-taking, undertaken in timeless style.
The late Gilles Villeneuve once said: “How can we discover our limits unless we try to go beyond them?” Not from fashion backgrounds, the founders have taken this exact approach. Inspired by people who tried their luck at race driving regardless of their professional vocation, Vandel has been formulated out of a shared passion to create quality-yet-unique driving shoes, with no small amounts of risk-taking along the way. To put this challenge into perspective, Álvaro says: “Our objective is to create footwear that can be worn by a gentleman driver during a race at Le Mans before rushing to a work meeting with clients without ever needing to change his shoes.” It sounds like a tall order, but with the combination of good taste, passion and their own interpretation of characterizing fashion, they have certainly succeeded.
