Rodrigo Fernández González-Moñux had an initial investment of 3,200 euros to start his project.
He "I made 12 pairs of shoes" and he placed them among family and friends, who gave him the first 'feedback'.
This is how Diplomatic was born, a brand 100% 'made in Spain' that aims to give a "
renewed and updated air to classic footwear, like the Castilians of a lifetime
".
The idea began to haunt his head when he was studying Business Administration and Management at the Carlos III University.
"I got out of some class because I was negotiating with a supplier," he says with a laugh.
At the age of 28, his company had a turnover of 700,000 euros last year and this year he expects to reach 1.5 million.
"
It all started when one day I visited a handmade shoe factory in Toledo
," he recalls.
That coincidence, which ended with the purchase of several models for him and his family, awakened (or sharpened) Rodrigo's entrepreneurial vein.
"People around me were curious about the shoes, they asked me where I had bought them, and I saw that there was a business opportunity."
In 2016, he launched his e-commerce with a focus on the concept of craftsmanship and sustainability.
"We don't do fashion, we cover a need with a quality product".
His client ranges from the age of 16 to 70.
Its main sales channel to date is the web, but it already has two physical stores in Madrid;
one in the Salamanca neighborhood and the other in the Moraleja Green Shopping Center.
"Shortly we will inaugurate the third in the Espacio Caleido".
The road traveled has had a lot of trial and error until fine-tuning details of the signature.
"In 2018 we launched the women's line", with the espadrille as the protagonist of the collection.
"We work with a cooperative from Irún".
They liked the designs so much that that year, even 60% of their clientele was female.
"The espadrilles were a success, but the normal thing is that we have
70% men and 30% women
."
Of the first 12 pairs, it went on to manufacture 30, then 50... and to this day, it
sells 10,000 pairs a year
.
"99% of sales are national."
Now they have begun to study international markets to see how they can position themselves in them.
"We have spent months analyzing the competition in the United Kingdom, France and Germany."
This year he will jump out.
With no connection to the world of footwear or fashion, Rodrigo has been self-taught.
"
I have learned about materials, pattern making, lasts, insoles...
".
He eventually had 300 references for sale, but he soon realized that this was difficult to manage.
«For spring/summer we will have 52 for men and 45 for women».
This entrepreneur complains that the concept 'made in Spain' is used too lightly.
"Our factories are located in Spain and all of them have stories, traditions and ways of working that have been passed down from generation to generation for many decades. This makes each pair
of Diplomatic shoes unique and different from the rest
."
In addition to the one in Toledo and the Basque Country, where they make the espadrilles with the traditional "buttonhole" stitching, they also work with a workshop in Galicia run by the fifth generation of a family.
The sandals that they launch this year are made in Levante.
Rodrigo says that no two Diplomatics are the same, and perhaps therein lies the charm of the brand.
Also in their commitment, which goes through the Diplomatic Sustainability 2025 project -hand in hand with the consultancy Dcycle-, with which
they intend to make the manufacturing process transparent
.
Animal care is on the priority list because it is the way to have the best long-lasting skins.
"We will start with an audit of the footprint generated by our activity and we aim to become the first 'carbon neutral' international footwear brand before 2025."
The new Castilian stomps...
Direction: Claudio Coello,
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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