Greek fashion about to shine

The Diners Athens Collections InStyle will take place at Zappeion Hall from March 17 to March 20

By Elis Kiss - Kathimerini English Edition

Featuring a growing number of shining stars, but also plagued by a troubled history, Greek fashion is about to make its first, bold statement to a local and international audience.

The Diners Athens Collections InStyle, the first-ever fashion week featuring the bulk of Greek designer talent, is to take place at Zappeion Hall from March 17-20.

Organized by the Hellenic Fashion Designers Association (HFD) under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens, the event is nothing short of a fashion miracle.

On the global front, Greek style has existed throughout the years. From antiquity to today, local and foreign createurs have long played with the Grecian element of drapery, for instance. With elaborate jewelry being another recognizable trademark, the country’s rich folk tradition has also been influential. Can designers prove that today’s Greece is developing a new kind of aesthetic, mixing the old with the new?

With an increasing number of local designers venturing abroad, the battle back home is no less harsh. Designers are often treated like celebrities in this country, albeit for the wrong reasons. Focusing on private lives and the often turbulent relations designers maintain with each other, the majority of Greek media forgets that most of these professionals are constantly changing hats. In this field, you can be an artist, a manufacturer, an employer, an advertising exec, a public relations consultant and a businessman — all at once.

At a joint press conference on Tuesday, Mayor of Athens Dora Bakoyannis was optimistic: “I see this as a new start for Greek fashion. We have the talent and it is time to let the world know.”

Bakoyannis further noted the increasing importance of fashion in world affairs.

“From the designer to the producer to the advertising agency, from the retailer to the consumer, one realizes that, today, more than ever, fashion possesses extraordinary power, one that is linked with success and beauty,” she said.

Besides viewing designers’ offerings and a variety of creative points of view, the upcoming fashion week is poised to break a number of barriers — the time has come to go far beyond the window display and the seasonal trend.

Fashion is and has always been a mirror of society. True, it can be superficial, but at the same time it can be very revealing. It’s about who we are and who we desire to be. It’s about glorious creativity — so many times, fashion steps into the world of art. It’s also a business, generating profits and creating jobs.

What are these designers aiming for? A number of things: recognition of their trade on the local level and an improvement in work conditions; the establishment of links between the national and the global fashion industry; mobilization on the part of the state and generating long-term investment from the private sector; and the development of the fashion industry toward boosting its financial growth and cultural value. At the same time, the hope is for this first fashion week not to be just a one-off event but a sustained and continuous effort.

The Diners Athens Collections InStyle will open next Thursday in the presence of Dora Bakoyannis. Catwalk shows will begin the following afternoon and will come to an end on Sunday night. All in all there will be 30 runway presentations, with individual designer stands situated in two separate areas in Zappeion Hall. “Moments,” an exhibition of works by photographer Nikos Vardakastanis, featuring backstage and detailed shots of fashion shows, will also go on display. Parties will be held around town and Fashion TV will broadcast segments from the shows.

The Diners Athens Collections InStyle is being organized in collaboration with Imako Media, with Citibank’s Diners Club International its major sponsor. Also sponsoring the event is Bombay Sapphire, Smart, Alexi Andriotti Accessories, L’Oreal and Peter Stuyvesant.

Whether Old Masters or New Establishment, the following designers are participating at the upcoming Diners Athens Collections InStyle: Michalis Aslanis, Daphne Valente, Christos Veloudakis, Fani Voutsela, Lakis Gavalas, Deux Hommes, Giorgos Eleftheriadis, Maro Zannia, Kathy Heyndels, Liana Kamba, Vasso Consola, Christoforos Kotentos, Victoria Kyriakidi, Pavlos Kyriakides, Constantinos, Christos Costarellos, Elina Lembessi, Loukia, Christos Mailis, Mi-Ro, Nicolas Mavropoulos, Nikolas, Erifylli Nikolopoulou, Nikos-Takis, Yiannos Xenis, Adria Papadopoulou, Orsalia Partheni, Simeoni, Makis Tselios and Vlassis Holevas. A New Comers Collection will also be shown, featuring the work of recent additions to the association. This includes Katerina Alexandraki, Celia Dragouni, Chara Lebessi, Dimitris Dassion and Smaragdi Herheletzaki.