Designer Rebecca Gradler’s casual luxury shoe line, Kheloni, fuses together her Greek heritage with elements of Charleston. The name Kheloni is derived from Chelônê, a nymph in Greek mythology who turned down an invitation to the wedding of Zeus and Hera–and was subsequently turned into a sea turtle. It’s a coastal nod to Charleston that Gradler found sentimental to represent her shoes that are handcrafted in Athens, Greece.
“My father was from Greece, and we went there every summer,” says Gradler. “We always spent a day there shoe shopping and saw so many neat things you don’t see in the United States.”
She knew one day she wanted to start a business importing goods from Greece. Her family relocated to Charleston in 2015 after years of working as a staffer on Capitol Hill, running an adoption program and having a private practice in counseling. In 2019, Gradler did a “180” and wanted to focus on creating a shoe and accessory line inspired by Greek culture and history.
Along with her husband, Gradler began creating a business plan for the line in the fall of 2019–reaching out to her family in Greece to connect with the brand’s shoe maker.
“My second cousin is married to our shoe maker’s son,” says Gradler, who adds that she also knows every vendor the brand works with.
Gradler wanted to make shoes and accessories with a “timeless design” which is both feminine and comfortable. “There doesn’t need to be compromise when it comes to beauty and comfort,” says Gradler. One of her signature designs is a sandal with a 1.5 inch heel.
“I picked a ‘conservative’ heel. It’s a really hard height to find. It’s a little bit of height, but not too much where your feet start to hurt. It really works, especially for women in business,” she says. “I love mixing textures. I was inspired by Chanel with boucle (fabric). I wanted to mix it up and not do the traditional Greek sandal everyone knows.”
Gradler also named her designs after family members, close friends, or a Greek name that captures the design. (She is currently working on obtaining dual citizenship there.)
They began manufacturing the shoes in Athens in early 2020, with Gradler making a trip to Greece. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt–including production.
“We didn’t get shoes until Christmas Eve in 2020,” says Gradler.
After finally receiving inventory, the brand officially launched in early 2021 as direct-to-consumer. The following year, she changed her business plan to focus on wholesale.
“There is more demand for brands that aren't mass produced–or what everyone else has,” says Gradler, who adds each shoe takes about 6 months to make from design to production.
In December 2022, Kheloni expanded to leather bags and jewelry. One design she’s most proud of is a leather tote bag featuring a unique interior lining and an Ancient Greek coin with a sea turtle on each one.
Kheloni earned early support from local boutiques, including Beckett Boutique (located at 409 King St., Suite 101), Shoes on King (located at 335 King St.), and Rhodes Boutique (located at 92 Folly Road Blvd.) and more.
“People support local businesses in Charleston. I love that it becomes a community feeling here,” she says.
