ACHILLES ION GABRIEL

How did you get into fashion? Achilles Ion Gabriel: “When I started my studies, I didn’t think that making footwear had anything to do with fashion. Still to this date, I would say my job is more about working with shoes than working in fashion.” What is the style of your brand? “I prefer everything to be clean, and I like playing with the concepts and contrasts of masculinity and femininity. The weight and proportions of my shoes actually tend to be quite chunky and masculine, but this is usually counterbalanced with more feminine details and shapes. It’s all about creating classic footwear styles with slight reinterpretations, something that is both modern and timeless.” Whom do you design for? “I normally start from myself, as I don’t have a specific audience in mind when I design. Obviously, some of my shoes are a bit more on the contemporary side, but most of them are quite generic by nature. So it’s great to see them attracting different people, from teenagers to the elderly, regardless of gender or nationality.” Where do you produce your collections? “In Portugal, at an amazing family-run factory. It’s always been important to establish a very close-knit collaboration with our manufacturers.” Where is your brand distributed? “In the UK, the USA, Japan, Indonesia, China, France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and South Korea.”

SHOPS: LN-CC (London - UK), Joyce (Hong Kong - China), Harvey Nichols (Hong Kong - China)

E-COMMERCE WEBSITES: farfetch.com, thecorner.com, ln-cc.com