Achilles Ion Gabriel
After launching his eponymous label last year, aptly named footwear guru Achilles Ion Gabriel has gone down quite the storm. Proliferating clean and streamlined designs with a contemporary aesthetic, Gabriel’s pieces put hand manufacturing and specially selected leathers high up on a pedestal. This is a man who considers himself a shoemaker rather than a shoe designer; someone who truly knows the value of craftsmanship. Bringing a unique heritage to his designs, Gabriel is Finnish born and has Swedish and Russian roots. Now based in Paris, the young cosmopolitan designer splits his time between the French capital, which is home to his showroom, and Menorca in Spain, where his shoes are manufactured. “I always wanted to design shoes and studied shoe design for five years. However, I ended up working for other companies as a PR and brand manager before I resigned and moved to Paris where I created my own company in 2012,” Achilles told Global Model Scouting. Taking architectural forms, Gabriel’s men’s shoes have a hefty artisanal quality. The soles and hardware are completely hand-crafted and built to last. Classic designs are refreshed with elements of deconstruction – think cut out ankle detailing and elastic panelling taking the place of laces. These are pieces based on integrity without fuss. Key silhouettes within the current collection include a military boot, Chelsea boot, Derby shoe and classic dinner shoe, all engineered with a definitive step away from the straight and narrow in mind. Complete with a potent blend of cultural references, contemporary reverence and classic artisanal values, shoes by Achilles Ion Gabriel have certainly earned their acclaim. Shop the collection exclusively online at LN-CC.
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Achilles Ion Gabriel Shoes Collection
