Matthew Chevallard, cofounder and creative director, Del Toro Shoes
Though Chevallard was born in Italy, he is Miami. The stylish dude behind one of our favorite lines of wingtips, sneakers, espadrilles, and chukkas was a student at the University of Miami and, now, heads the company straight out of Wynwood. He’s the force behind the brand, enforcing its streetwear-meets-prep look and always forms new collaborations with bloggers, artists, and athletes (think Leandra Medine, Alexander Mijares, and Dwyane Wade).

How does Miami influence both your personal style and your design aesthetic?
“Miami is such a melting pot that it enables a great platform for me to mix and integrate the elements that comprise the Del Toro lifestyle — American prep, Italian elegance, and NY-slash-Japanese streetwear.”

How did Miami help launch your career?
“Miami really helped because it's still in strong development stages in terms of cultural movements, and I think we are all looking for substantial movements to engage in. People are able to relate and involve themselves in our movement, and that's significant and moving.”

Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Chevallard