George Malkemus and Tony Yurgaitis, the top two executives of the Manolo Blahnik luxury shoe brand, have expanded their high-end shoe business to high-end milk from their Litchfield, Ct farm.
In a delightful story this week by Mustafah Abdulaziz for The Wall Street Journal, tells the tale of how these two men launched their milk business in tony Litchfield, summer as well as full-time home to many famous people.
“Having persuaded women that $575 is a reasonable sum for slingbacks, Mr. Malkemus, 57, and Mr. Yurgaitis, 66, are now seeking to join the crème de la crème of the dairy world,” writes Abdulaziz. “Messrs. Malkemus and Yurgaitis serve as majority owners of the Manolo Blahnik label. Sold at upscale retailers like Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York, the shoes are crafted, mostly by hand, at Italian factories in quantities of no more than 120 pairs per day.
“Last year, Arethusa, their 325-acre farm in Litchfield County, began selling pricey branded milk and yogurt at 23 retail accounts, including Whole Foods. The milk sells for $4.49 per half-gallon, or more than twice the national retail average.”
