Fortela takes its name from "tela forte" (strong fabric) reversed in French verlan slang, and was founded in 2015 by Alessandro Squarzi, a longtime collector of vintage military and workwear fabric. Squarzi designs the line with Alessia Giacobino, pulling directly from his own archive to blend American military and Western wear with Japanese denim culture and Italian tailoring traditions. Production runs through Italian and Japanese workshops, chosen specifically for the vintage-spec fabrics and techniques the collection depends on.