L’ATELIER FORTE X DR. APA

Some collaborations are born overnight.  Others are forged over years of vision, persistence, and a shared obsession with excellence.  The partnership between L’Atelier Forte and Dr. Apa falls firmly in the latter category.  What began as a cold call in 2021 has evolved into a multi-year creative journey, uniting fashion and aesthetics at the highest level to change the way the world sees doctors.  At the core of this collaboration was The Apa Bomber, but L’Atelier Forte x Dr. Apa is not just the story of a jacket.  It’s the story of a relentless pursuit to bring purpose, precision, and style to the office.  Now, four years later, the next chapter begins with the launch of The Apa Bomber, V2.

May 2021: The call.
L’Atelier Forte cofounder Joe Vasold made a cold-call to Dr. Apa to request a meeting.

June 2021: The meeting.
Dr. Apa reviewed Forte’s product line. The fabrics were special but the styles didn’t fit the Apa aesthetic.

October 2021: An email from Joe to Dr. Apa.
New designs were in development.

November 2022: A prototype.
Joe returned to Apa Aesthetic New York, with a prototype of the Apa Bomber. It took 3 months, multiple meetings and many more prototypes to perfect.

March 2023: The launch of the Apa Bomber.
The Doctor’s Jacket, reinvented, was a sellout success.

August 2023: v2 of the Apa Bomber was born.
Dr. Apa described his vision for a lightweight variation, beautiful in its simplicity, with unmatched attention to detail. It took 20 months to perfect.

April 2025: The first ever Apa Symposium.
L’Atelier Forte unveiled the Lightweight Apa Bomber at the symposium with an exclusive shopping experience and private landing page for the attendees.

May 12, 2025: v2 is AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE.
The Lightweight Apa Bomber Doctor’s Jacket is live for purchase on the L’Atelier Forte website.