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.
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