The Finnish-born designer prepares a final chapter with the Mallorca-based brand as its creative direction transitions in-house
Achilles Ion Gabriel is set to step down as creative director of both Camper and CamperLab, concluding a six-year chapter that helped recalibrate the brands’ contemporary identities. The spring/summer 2027 collection will mark his final outing, scheduled to launch this December. Following his departure, Camper’s internal creative team will assume creative direction across both labels, signaling a shift toward continuity from within rather than an external appointment.
Ion Gabriel joined Camper in 2019 as creative director of CamperLab, the brand’s experimental arm, before expanding his remit a year later to oversee Camper in its entirety. His debut collection for the mainline arrived in fall 2021, ushering in a more fashion-forward, conceptually driven approach to footwear that gradually extended into ready-to-wear and accessories. Over time, CamperLab evolved from a niche footwear project into a broader fashion proposition, culminating in its first-ever runway show during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June.
In a statement reflecting on his tenure, Ion Gabriel said he was “deeply grateful” to Camper and CamperLab for the trust placed in him throughout the years. Camper chief executive officer Miguel Fluxà underscored the designer’s impact, noting that Ion Gabriel “played a key role in strengthening the contemporary identity” of Camper and guiding CamperLab’s transformation “from a footwear to a fashion brand.” He added, “His vision and leadership have contributed meaningfully to the evolution of both brands.”
Beyond the runway, Ion Gabriel shaped CamperLab’s physical and cultural footprint. In March, he collaborated with Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev on the opening of CamperLab’s Paris Marais store, a raw, industrial space defined by intentional imperfection. “Harry knows that I love not perfect things, so that’s why we have broken walls,” Ion Gabriel said at the time. “I wanted to have the product on display, but I didn’t want it to scream. I wanted it to be a little hidden.” As he steps away from Camper, the designer continues to build his independent path, having relaunched his namesake, gender-neutral label in 2024—suggesting that this departure is less an ending than a recalibration.
