Shoes and chocolate aren’t exactly the first dynamic duo to come to mind, but andSons’ partnership with George Esquivel is a match made in heaven.
The two companies just launched the Neighborly Love collaboration, a limited edition chocolate box right in time for the holidays. The collaboration coalesced as a result of, as the name indicates, neighborly love. AndSons kitchen in the Los Angeles’ Arts District is right next to the Esquivel House, the craftsman’s DTLA atelier that opened earlier this year.
“A long-standing fixture in Los Angeles' fashion scene, we worked with George to create a box that celebrates our shared artisan talents, California roots and neighborly love,” the chocolatiers explain on their site.
This collaboration is a true testament to Los Angeles as an epicenter of creativity. If you haven’t popped by andSons’ outpost while shopping around Beverly Hills, you’ll need to add it to your list of errands while on your next outing. Helmed by two brothers born into the world of fine chocolate, their award-winning team handcrafts each confection from the finest cacao and specialty providers around the world by using a combination of European time-honored techniques and inspiration from the city.
The heart of Esquivel’s brand mirrors AndSons’ mission: hand craftsmanship, quality and tradition. There’s a reason why he has gained a clientele that includes Courtney Cox, Laura Dern and Janelle Monae. By producing a limited quantity of hand-made shoes for select retailers and clients, Esquivel tells a story with each pair.
What’s more, the chocolate box exterior has Esquivel all over it. Covered in his signature flower motif, the box design is polished off by a floral shoelace wrap.
Even greaters wonder await inside the box. AndSons’ chocolates are already highly acclaimed for their hand-painted, molded bonbons, so not only will you be getting the best sweets around, but you’ll also get to enjoy two limited edition chocolates. In addition to the signature confections, the Esquivel collaboration box includes Mushroom Caramel (a candy cap mushroom from Northern California with chocolate caramel ganache) and California Gianduja (California almonds and pistachios finished with Big Sur sea salt). The latter is an update to their classic European Hazelnut Gianduja.
See also: The World's Best Wines of 2021
Photography by: Courtesy: andSons/ George Esquivel
