FOR SALE

by DANA W. TODD / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

Real estate agent lauren zurilla isn’t the person who sets a for sale sign in the ground and walks away, satisfied in securing a listing agreement with a homeowner. Although 65% to 75% of her business is as a listing agent for Charleston-area sellers, she says there is so much more effort that goes into the real estate sales and buying processes.

“I provide concierge-level services to my clients,” Zurilla says. “I like to do so much for them when they are moving because it’s at that stage homeowners need a lot of help. Whether they need staging, help selling furniture or setting up an estate sale, have insurance needs, or need to hire a contractor, I take care of all of these tasks as I work one-onone with them.”

Representing Lowcountry coastal buyers and sellers for eight years and with a total of 18 years of experience working as a Realtor, Zurilla started her career in Maryland but Charleston “quickly captured her heart” when she first visited back in the early 1990s. “I love the coastal areas,” she says. “Realistically, a good agent knows her area. I really have to know Charleston and the surrounding islands well, especially when clients are relocating here from another state. They lean on me to translate their goals and budget into a house that is just right for them.” don’t seem to be coming down. We are still seeing houses sell within a few days, but on average, it’s taking about 39 days to sell a house in the Charleston County market.”

Although Zurilla serves homebuyers and sellers of all ages and stages of life, she thrives on helping clients who are juggling dual transactions, both selling their home while buying a new one. “Many baby boomers are buying their second homes or downsizing and buying two smaller homes, one here in Charleston and one elsewhere. Maneuvering through two transactions at the same time takes an experienced agent, especially in a booming market like Charleston,” she says. With a special emphasis on consultation, her meetings with clients are really strategy sessions. “It’s never about how to sell someone a house but understanding the client’s goals,” she adds. “I advise homebuyers and sellers to take great care in choosing a listing agent for their homes by interviewing potential agents and asking the right questions. A great agent can both make money and/or save money for you depending on what side of the transaction you are on. Who you choose to partner with in buying or selling a home is extremely important, and it’s not always the right choice to choose someone you know to help with this. It’s business and involves a lot of money, so do your due diligence in choosing an agent.”

The Lauren Zurilla & Associates team has been working together for many years. “I’m not the agent who will take a listing and shuffle clients off to another agent,” Zurilla says. “I work one-on-one with each of my clients. I’m in this business for the people part of it and enjoy navigating not only the emotional side of the process but the business and numbers side of the transaction, too. After all, people usually are moving due to an emotional or life circumstance, such as a death, divorce, pregnancy, marriage or related situation, so they need someone to balance that along with the analytical part of what needs to be done.”

When working with buyers, Zurilla says she is not selling them a house but instead selling them a lifestyle. “That’s what makes for happy clients,” she says. “I listen to their needs and desires and match that with their budget. It’s a winning combination and because of that I feel so confident I truly help people. Whether buyers or sellers, my clients are so important to me; making them feel taken care of and listened to is my top priority.” *

Zurilla says she receives the most questions regarding the current market conditions; buyers think waiting to buy might be a good idea because interest rates or prices may fall. The fact is, Charleston is in demand. She says: “If interest rates fall, it will just increase demand, which in turn raises prices. We still don’t have a lot on the market so prices are holding steady, not dropping. On the other hand, sellers think they missed the market because houses aren’t getting 15 offers at a time; however, prices were up 17% this year over the same time period last year. Sellers haven’t missed the market, and if buyers want to buy, they shouldn’t wait because prices

by LESLIE J. THOMPSON

Magical things can happen over a glass of good wine Romances are kindled. New friendships are forged. And for Michael Tonello, a casual conversation led to connections that catapulted his unique product to swift success.

Author of the best-selling book Bringing Home the Birkin, Tonello was chatting with fashion industry icon Fern Mallis at The Polo Bar when he presented her with a gift: a pair of custom, handstitched espadrilles made from a vintage Pucci print dressing gown. Walking over to greet Mallis, Ralph Lauren caught a glimpse of the inventive footwear and was intrigued. He introduced

Tonello to executives from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, who were dining at the restaurant that evening, and the brand now known as Respoke found its home.

Tonello conceived the idea of repurposing classic designer scarves into colorful slip-on shoes after moving to Barcelona in 1999. The erstwhile luxury reseller had made a name for himself sourcing authenticated Hermès scarves and envisioned turning one of the elegant silk squares into a pair of espadrilles, the footwear of choice in sunny Spain. He later shared the concept with graphic designer Chris Bartick, and the two joined forces to create Respoke.

After researching factories for more than a year, Tonello found a group of artisans in Spain’s remote mountain villages, where a master craftsman took on the task of creating the prototype pair. His shop developed a process of bonding the delicate silk fabric to a thin cotton canvas for durability and added decorative stitching on the toe cap for additional reinforcement. The resulting footwear was everything Tonello had dreamed of.

The fashion-wise entrepreneur first marketed the custom espadrilles to his fanbase on social media, but it was after the fortuitous meeting in Manhattan when things really took off. Orders came in from Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and other highend retailers. When inventory started to overwhelm the owners’ respective apartments, Respoke opened a retail location in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in 2015.

Since that time, Respoke has launched boutiques in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard and will be opening a new store in Southampton, New York, in late spring 2023. “We learned that having a physical space was really special,” Bartick says. “People are oversaturated with shopping online, and they want connectivity. They want to walk into an experience.”

Because the other locations are seasonal, Tonello and Bartick last year started to search for a place to establish a year-round presence. Charleston was the perfect fit, both for its milder climate and because of the continued expansion of shopping and dining options along King Street in the city’s historic downtown area. Scheduled to open with the summer season this year, the new Respoke store at 377 King St. will include furniture, artwork and chandeliers, in addition to the brand’s iconic footwear.

The process of reinventing an authenticated vintage silk scarf into a stunning pair of shoes involves several steps and likewise several mountainside workshops, most of which have been family-owned for more than a century. The first shop winds strips of jute and sews through the base to create the bottom. From there, a separate factory applies all-natural rubber soles with a heat press. Meanwhile, artisans in another workshop are creating the uppers, crafting two pairs of espadrilles from each scarf. In the final step, workers hand sew the upper to the base and add toe stitching, using a nearly forgotten technique passed down through generations.

“As time progressed, we started adding other categories of shoes,” says Bartick, who has a background in fine art. “We created a mule, a wedge, a bow slide and other designs,” he notes, including sneakers and high-tops. With a desire to promote sustainability, the duo also looked for more ways to use every small scrap of fabric that remained from making Respoke’s trademark shoes. The brand eventually added limited edition readyto-wear items, like jackets and sweaters, embellished with delicate pieces of silk, as well as hats and face masks.

Bartick also uses colorful bits of remnant fabric combined with acrylic paint and a special sealant to create vibrant canvases that depict familiar scenes from cities where Respoke has a presence. His mixedmedia artwork is available for purchase at Respoke boutiques and through the brand’s website. “We like to be involved in the communities we’re in,” says Bartick, who recently completed a canvas of Charleston’s famous pineapple fountain. Just as Tonello’s first pair of custom espadrilles evoked fond memories of his time in Spain, Respoke aims to give customers a special remembrance of the sunny destinations they love. *

Leslie J. Thompson is a Dallas-based freelance writer with a passion for interior design and international travel. Read more of her work at lesliejthompson.com.