Aptform

Michail Gkinis' background in fashion started at an early age. He grew up in an environment surrounded by textiles and the creative sound of sewing machines. His mother and sister produce made-to-order garments for private customers. While studying for his BA in Menswear at London College of Fashion, he learned the skills of tailoring. During his studies he completed an internship with ISSEY MIYAKE company in Tokyo Japan. It was a stepping stone in his life. Since 2006 Michail has been based in Tokyo. Fascinated by the Japanese textiles and the subtle Japanese craftsmanship he set up his label, aptform, in Tokyo 2008. Aptform is the idea that contemporary clothing is meaningful in terms of construction and sensitive in their cut and texture. The fusion of Greece and Japan creates a unique Eurasian design. Inspired by the industrial and natural environment, Aptform uses high quality Japanese textiles and updates traditional techniques of making. Michail's admiration for the Bauhaus movement and its principles, specifically the idea that "form follows function", is aptform's raison d’être as a pursuit in creating meaningful clothes that explore the passageways between communication, design and nature, not only in substance but as a purpose for life. The engine of inspiration that breathes life into the idea that is aptform can be seen as the amalgamation of practices that range from industrial to natural, used as a language to express awareness about the modern social environment through the medium of clothing.