From street to chic: Trends for summer 2005
From couture to streetwear, Greek fashion runs the gamut of styles – and qualities. What kind of trends emerged from the Spring/Summer 2005 Athens Collections Preview? There were racy hot pants and cute baby dolls, sporty looks incorporating elegance, bold as well as soft colors, and a clein d’oeil to the motherland and its traditions with references to its deep blue sea world – seashells included. Like an express checkout line, all the designers adhered to a «no more than 10 items» rule. Michalis Aslanis went down a ruffles, patchwork and Hungarian embroidery road, offering Gypsy looks but also signature drapes. Thessaloniki-based Andria opted for a casual look, featuring cotton and satin combinations and cute, embroidered T-shirts. Daphne Valente’s touching fashion comeback – for the last few years, the designer had been designing accessories only – resulted in hot and soft signature pleats. For the house of Veloudakis, next summer will be all about short, sweet and sexy, in pink, peach and pistachio. Fanny Voutsela’s take on the Greek peasant look included dangling coins and broderie anglaise. LAK’s boyz-n-the-foustanella designs made for cool 21st century shepherd looks, highlighting founder Lakis Gavalas’s sense of humor. True to his edgy aesthetics, Giorgos Eleftheriadis was in travel mode, playing with bermuda shorts, colors and stripes, while his intriguing silhouettes and volumes were given a playful spin with children’s drawings. Fluidity was the story at Maro Zannia, with soft silhouettes strolling down an imaginary beach and a textured palette of bubbles, clouds and sand. Seashells in a D-cup was the idea at Kathy Heyndels, where models were clad in long and sexy gowns embroidered with finds from the sea. Liana Camba came up with fiery orange, cascading fringes and sporty trousers, matched with sexy tops. The voice of Ella Fitzgerald filled the room as Vasso Consola’s glorious knitwear hit the catwalk, in the form of 1930s bathing suits, as well as numbers for the cocktail and evening hours. Christoforos Kotentos took his vision forward with a collection based on flashy color combinations and an underlining psychedelic sensation. A more conventional take epitomized the work of Victoria Kyriakides, who offered pretty, lacy evening wear and wedding gowns. New Age baby-doll dresses in a chocolate color palette was the story at Pavlos Kyriakides, while Konstantinos, another Thessaloniki-based designer, was in a black-and-white and ribbon state of mind. Christos Costarelos’s couture pieces were nothing short of tiramisu slices – from cream to deep brown – of elaborate, bias-cut gowns. After throwing two «welcome to Hawaii» numbers, Elina Lebessi proceeded to show her familiar «proper with a twist» cocktail dresses, while Old Master Christos Maillis, a seasoned couturier, opted for ladylike elegance carried out with rich fabrics. Elements of couture were also evident in the work of Nicolas Mavropoulos, where the underlining theme was flower prints. Up-and-coming Mi-Ro demonstrated their freshness, playing with unexpected cuts and balloon silhouettes. Total white was the story at Nikolas, from Thessaloniki, who offered tied-up shirts for men and women. Eryfilli Nikolopoulou’s Retro Glam spirit was a winner, with corsets in beautiful color combinations, creating an ethereal, fairy-like effect. Nikos-Takis’s habitual glamorous spirit was enhanced by big hats and plenty of ruffles. Marcello Niktas’s naughty girls walked down the catwalk in giant sequins and peacock feathers, while the designer – who is also the stylist of Fame Story 3 – offered his take on the male/female tuxedo. Cypriot-born Yiannos Xenis unveiled pieces from a unique, handmade collection featuring elaborate macrame, while Lena Papachristophilou presented Made4Now, an exciting joint-designer project based on conceptual designs presented every few months. At Parthenis, Orsalia Partheni brought terry-towel textures for day and night, while Thessaloniki’s Simeoni opted for heavy-duty embroidery. Vlassis Holevas, who likes his women curvy and sexy, suggested colorful seams and spaghetti straps. Two houses initially scheduled to present their ideas were unable to show: Loukia’s romantic vision and top-quality craftsmanship as well as Deux Hommes’ invariably sophisticated and intellectual approach were missed. Also absent from Monday’s event were Makis Tselios and Harris & Angelos.
