forte forte

I recently experienced more proof of the close link between art and fashion: a union that almost ends up becoming an identity. I was walking in Via Ponte Vetero, in the heart of Brera, in one of my favourite areas of Milan, that sort of small romantic-looking village. I stopped in front of the shop windows of the forte forte boutique and almost immediately thought of an exhibition I saw in Ferrara, dedicated to Boldini. He was a painter of the late nineteenth century who has a very close connection with fashion to the point that Dior himself was inspired by him for his Haute Couture collection, because he knew how to perfectly capture the beauty of the Belle Époque.

I thought of his paintings while standing in front of street number 1. The brand is synonymous with made in Italy and is directly tied to the Forte family. The two brothers Giada and Paolo Forte, started a small handmade t-shirt collection in 2002. From Veneto they have conquered the panorama of international fashion with two single-brand boutiques, in Milan and Paris, achieving great success also in the European market, Japan and the United States. forte forte was established from the desire to extend the value of attention to details. Especially in a field like fashion, it makes all the difference.

The memories of their childhood in Veneto are reflected in this visionary and dreamlike world where the two key pillars are the creation of fabrics and the search for colors. The name itself represents a further element of identity, the family surname. Repeated twice and written on the sign in a small font, it counters the ostentation and all that in this age is (perhaps too often) shouted. forte forte, despite the meaning that this adjective commonly has, is something soft that leaves its mark.

The woman the Maison addresses is a free woman. As Giada Forte is keen to point out, the stylistic soul of the project, the goal is to put the emotions of those who wear their clothes in the foreground. Thus, insinuating freedom. Freedom to be oneself without constraints. The clothes are fluid in order to embrace and accompany body movements. Created for the curious woman, a traveller, who never loses sophistication and sensitivity, to preserve a timeless elegance.

The fabrics are finely worked; you can find linen trousers, silk dresses and shirts with watercolor prints, jacquard coat, kimono, nappa slipper, structured jackets, lurex effect linen, silk chiffon, shiny viscose bustier dresses, and more. Gold accessories with details that recall the sea, like shells and pearls or small snakeskin bags.

The Milan showroom deserves attention. Designed by Robert Vattilana, art director of the Maison and companion of Giada Forte. He translates the vision of the two brothers into images and geometries. It is indeed a narrative space, a luminous place, with light tones, made of strategically positioned design elements to tickle the client’s curiosity, without ever distracting them from the clothes.

An address where you can abandon the constraints of everyday life and feel free to be in harmony with your body and your beauty.