Senses and sustainability: Interview with Giada Forte

The Kurator caught up with Giada Forte to find out what drives her passion for knitwear and sustainability in the world of fashion

How did you develop your sense of fabrics?

I grew up surrounded by yarn cones and the warm smell of wool, in our family knitwear company. As a child, I used to love hand-knitting scarves and hats for my dolls and loved experimenting, working and creating with the knitting machines while studying design in England and during my design experience at Kenzo Takada in Paris.

I love the magic that transforms a yarn into a precious garment. In our forte_forte collection I always let the fabric be truthful to itself, I like it to fall naturally on the body, without any constraints. I love the touch of natural fabrics and like to mix structured refined linen and cashmere with precious silks and pure voiles, combining everyday luxury with beautiful femininity.

I believe in the importance of special, precious details that make a piece unique and love dedicating great attention to color shades.

The result is timeless garments full of emotions that reveal freedom without schemes where the past and the present harmoniously share their soul. I like the idea that a collection makes you dream for a while and when you buy a piece, you become part of it.

What makes a good fabric in your opinion?

A good fabric always has to convey these three values: authenticity, tradition and timelessness.

How does your background in knitting influence your choice of fabrics and designs now?

I come from a knitwear tradition that was born with my beloved grandmother. I grew up amidst the noise of knitting machines; therefore a very strong feeling binds me to knitwear. The process of knitting is magic: from a simple thread you can develop infinite stitches, lines or inlays, to create a finished garment, with a volume and a shape.

At the same time, in knitwear you must respect a yarn and its characteristics. That’s the beauty of it: creative freedom within technical valuable rules. In our collections you always find handmade garments, crochet or handknitted: I love to underline through these pieces the beauty and value of manual traditional work.

How does sustainability factor in your brand and your work?

Today sustainability is a fundamental value in every domain. forte_forte has always believed in the importance of authenticity that makes a piece unique and special. Timeless beauty and quality are our sustainable values. Every piece is conceived, created and sewn by expert hands in the Italian regions close to the heart of the company. We truly believe in the importance of small artisans, and we work to support those who bring healthy values to this profession, as well as, of course, to be attentive to everything related to environmental pollution.

Your boutiques are known for their special locations and unique interior design - now that you have a location in the Middle East do you have anything in the pipeline connected to the local heritage and craftsmanship?

I would love to make a special project connected to the Middle East culture and craftsmanship, also maybe linked to a local artist…We’ll reveal more in the future.