The newly appointed creative director’s thoughtful approach to shoemaking comes through his very first collection for Camperlab, Camper’s more experimental sub-brand, known for its progressive designs and collaborations with the likes of Kiko Kostadinov and Bernhard Willhelm.
Gabriel’s collection, which he has described as “surreal shoes that a farmer might wear,” looks at chairs, surreal aesthetic and the Spanish brand’s rich Mallorcan heritage for inspiration. “For me, it is a jackpot that a company like Camper is from Mallorca; I mean, it’s an extremely juicy DNA to play with,” the designer says. “It would feel very fake to me not to respect these roots and not to cherish them,” he adds.
Vivid colours, leather heels with toe knot, lace-up boots with toothed rubber outsoles, square flip-flops with matching tabi socks; there is a sense of refined humour to the collection. “In general, the spirit of Camper is very close to how I personally see the world and design; both myself and Camper are about fun, surreal and unexpected products.”