This week footwear brand Charles & Keith joined forces with designer Cecile Bahnsen for an exciting collaboration of a shoe line inspired by traditional school-wear. The collection features some of the most classic Charles & Keith shapes and silhouettes which are reinterpreted by Cecile and finished with her signature brooch. Four various styles are featured including three Mary Jane designs and a distinctive mule. The general palette of the collection sees a neutral scheme of black and white that’s garnished with a touch of colour with the lemon yellow Camelia mule.
In line with Bahnsen’s commitment to sustainability, the collection revisits two of her favourite fabrics being a recycled satin and a unique patchwork that are given new life. It also includes the use of dust bags stitched from leftover cuts from previous season. For more information about the collection visit Charleskeith.co.uk
This month Belgian fashion brand Filled A Papa, broke new ground with the launch of their very first footwear collection for the AW19 season entitled POWERSHIFT.
Carol and Sarah Piron, the creative duo behind the line created a collection of 4 styles including ankle and thigh high boots, inspired by the theme of the previous collection , being the iconography of American Motorcross and Mud Wrestling with a touch of 90’s aesthetic. Laced high boots are reworked in both black and white suede with an added sparkle of Swarovski crystals, the brand’s signature numbers the Bliss and Cocomodels are offered in the same fabrics as well as a metallic “American Flag” version, leather and black tailoring with white dots. Each shoe is matched with its own personality that gives it’s wearer a unique extra oomph while sporting it. To view and purchase the full collection on pre-sale, visit Filles A Papa.
Gio Forbice doesn’t think of himself as a designer. He customises things. More specifically, he customises shoes and the shoes he’s known for go by the label Forfex.
Forfex shoes are as refreshing as Gio’s perspective on the way in which he designs. He doesn’t subscribe to the usual designer mentality, which may explain why his work seems to go far beyond usual and deeply into innovative, refreshing, creative and completely, entirely unique. Twin caught up with the man behind the brand to find out more.
Can you tell me a little about your line and how it was born? It was born around six years ago now, in Italy, but I had started to customise jeans, jackets and shoes before then. And then a friend from Saigon gave me the opportunity to produce shoes there so that started all this.
What is your background as a designer? Is it something you always wanted to go into? I am not a designer. I think I started to customise things because I was bored and my parents have run a clothing store for a long time; I was born into it. I can remember well that when I was little, I normally slept in the basement on some Valentino, Armani, Kenzo, Versace, Gaultier or other fancy clothing. My dad wanted to kill me all the time but it was good for me to see all that.
Is there anything about footwear that makes it more appealing as a designer to you than other branches within the fashion industry? I think shoes are more of an object. Today everything is the same, so it’s difficult to make something special to me. But yes, I think I prefer to see a girl just with a pair of big boots on.
What other designers do you admire? I like Hedi Slimane or John Galliano. All the designers from the past are incredible. They built different imagery. I think Shayne [Oliver from HBA] is brilliant. Also Gosha Rubchinskiy.
And which artists of other mediums inspire you? Music, photography, etc.
I listen to movie soundtracks. But always I’ve liked different kinds of music from classical music or church music to Rammstein, Darkthrone, White Zombie or all the 90’s classics; Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana or some Italian 90s dance music. Everyone listens to the same shit… I like to associate music to images. I think it’s the best to watch Twin Peaks because the music is perfect or For a Fistful of Dollars and the other spaghetti western movies, with music by Enio Morricone. They are fantastic so I think that’s art too. Oh, and the music in the classic porno movies. It’s like the music you can listen to in a fancy hotel so it’s nasty to me when I hear that music in hotels. It makes me think of some hardcore scenes right there on the piano of the hotel reception.
Can you describe the Forfex aesthetic in one sentence? It’s a bizarre story.
Pamela Costantini is a new name in the footwear industry, one to remember however. Before starting her eponymous line, the Italian born designer worked for the likes of Roberto Cavalli and studied at The European Institute of Design, but a jewellery collection sparked interest in going it alone. The first collection will be released in Spring/Summer 2015, however we couldn’t wait till then to find out more. Here, we chat with Pamela herself.
When did your love affair with shoes begin?
I think it really started when I was young – I used to be a real tomboy and hated wearing shoes at all. My equestrian boots really changed my mind – they were the first pair of shoes I fell in love with and now shoes are everything!
Why did you decide to start your own brand after five years in the industry?
It was all very spontaneous. Two friends of mine – Roberto and Diego – were designing a beautiful collection for their jewellery line called SCHIELD. Then we thought about how we could incorporate their jewels with a shoe line and it really just built on from there. I decided to do a few designs and try it out.
Tell us about the traditional handcrafted Italian techniques used to create your designs?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the best tanneries and factories in Tuscany – which all specialise in very high quality leather. Their craftsmen working on my line are artisans which a huge amount of experience in luxury products. It has definitely been a process going back and forth with my designs – the craftsmen have a huge amount of patience, listening to my ideas to develop a collection and make them a reality.
What sparked your thorn themed collection?
I have always been inspired by the 90’s grunge aesthetic and religious iconography. Also Helmut Newton photography – the feeling he is able to evoke through composition, colour and subject. When my friends showed me designs of their new collection with the thorn element – I had a clear vision for my shoes.
Do you design with your own taste in mind?
Yes, definitely. I think it is really the reason I wanted to start my own line. Now I can just design everything I would die to own and wear!
Just one more – heels or flats?
Flats are a trend, heels are forever.
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