Meet Temís Galindo | Design Director & Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Temís Galindo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Temís, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After years of working in the fashion industry, I wanted to reconnect to that passion I once felt for creating and wearing beautiful and unique objects. I didn’t know what I wanted to do necessarily but I knew the end goal was to work with my hands again.

In 2017, I was working and living in Barcelona when a random chat with a local shopkeeper sparked an interest in traditional shoemaking. Shortly after, I met a Catalan master shoemaker and trained with him in the essentials of pattern-making, lasting and fit.

I continued working on my craft for years and when I finally returned to the U.S, I opened up a workshop so that I could begin crafting made in the USA shoes and leather goods. Initially, I really wanted to change the way we, as consumers, approach buying goods. I really focused on showing the behind-the-scenes processes so that consumers could understand why certain goods cost what they cost. “Volver” means to return in Spanish, and with my small business, I am able to return to a bygone era of craftsmanship where unique objects and products are handcrafted for a specific consumer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I make shoes by hand in Brooklyn. It’s old-fashioned and painstaking work, but it’s beautiful and magical, and I love it. The process is incredibly complex because the shoes must exude a real sense of mastery and skill while simultaneously providing balance and stability for your entire body.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

When friends come into town, I love touring around Chelsea Arts District and stopping by Marianne Boesky Gallery, Lisson Gallery, Dobrinka Salzman Gallery and the Dia just to name a few.

I also love wandering around chinatown and the lower east side to shop and eat soup dumplings. I love taking guests to 75 East Broadway where there is a cute indoor mall with cool vintage clothing, furniture and some art shops. Another one of my favorite places to stop by is Tumbao, a pop-up concept showcasing the work of emerging Latin American designers, creatives and artists. It’s such a unique space and there is now an in-house embroiderer that can customize anything in your wardrobe. Perrotin is also a go-to in the lower east side and has an expansive bookshop as well as unique works of art. Most recently, I was able to experience the work of GaHee Park with friends.

Venturing into Queens in order to visit MoMA PS1 and the Noguchi Museum is also on my very short list of things to do with friends. I also love spending the day with sketchbook in hand at the Socrates Sculpture Park.

The Guadalupe Maravilla exhibit, “Si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana” at the PPOW was on my guided tour until recently when it ended.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I want to truly dedicate my shoutout to the Latinx & BIPOC communities here in NYC and around the Americas. I am deeply moved by the collective nature of these communities and their ability inspired and lift one another. I’m also truly grateful to all the women entrepreneurs out there. Corporate America does a poor job at highlighting unique talent and creating opportunity for women leaders. It’s therefore inspiring to me to see women leave the traditional work force in order to create new opportunities and spaces that can nurture the next generation of women leaders.

Additionally, I’d like to give a shoutout to my Catalan master shoemaking teacher, Carlos. His journey into the world of shoemaking was completely focused on improving his own quality of life. He began making shoes with lifts or platforms in order to find balance for his leg length discrepancy. Carlos has such a passion for making things and is a tinkerer at heart.

In Spanish the word “duende” refers to a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity. It’s the people that possess such “duende” that I honor and try to dedicate my work to.

Website: https://volverworkshop.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volver_workshop/

Image Credits
Hal Schulman