Greek fashion in vogue?From catwalk to glossy
Though she didn’t get the job – Italian Riccardo Tisci got the Givenchy designer slot instead – London-based, Greek designer Sophia Kokosalaki is doing just fine. On Tuesday night, the low-key designer unveiled her Fall/Winter ready-to-wear collection for 2005-2006 to an international audience of buyers and press in Paris. Showing for the second time in the city, the designer explored a samurai armor theme, while adding chiffon blouses, tailored pants and cashmere numbers for during the day. Suzy Menkes, The International Herald Tribune’s authoritative fashion editor, commented on creations that «expressed the womanly spirit» of a «fast-developing designer,» while Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), also known in the industry as the «bible,» talked about a «cross-cultural melange» adding up to a «sharp collection full of great clothes.» Kokosalaki is one designer the global fashion industry is watching. Giorgos Eleftheriadis could be next. An avant-garde Athens-based designer, Eleftheriadis showed a menswear collection at AREA, an event organized by the Association Internationale des Createurs Independents in Paris, in January and is currently preparing his London Fashion Week debut in September. Up-and-coming Christoforos Kotentos was also abroad recently, unveiling a collection at Premium Plus in Berlin. This is turning out to be a good time for Greek style. It has even turned up in the current issue of American Vogue, which takes a look at global shopping and focuses on «the luxe souk.» In the pages of the uber-influential, trendsetting glossy, New-York based, Swiss-born bag designer Devi Kroell goes on a long stroll in the Plaka district in search of hip ethnic findings ranging from Byzantine-inspired jewelry to sandals and the ubiquitous komboloi, aka worry beads. The link between tradition and trends, however, will no doubt become clearer in mid-March. That’s when Greek fashion week, the Diners «Athens Collections» In Style, will take place at Zappeion Hall. Following years of rifts and low spirits, the bulk of local talent is joining forces and is opening up to the world. The ambitious event is organized by the Hellenic Fashion Designers Association – a fashion body established in 2003 – under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens. For three days (March 17-20), visitors will attend 31 catwalk shows, mingle with designers at their stands, visit a fashion photo exhibition and join a round-table discussion. Another fashion event has also been scheduled for this month. The second Moda Athena will unfold at the Ellinikos Cosmos cultural center from March 18 to 23, featuring Greek designers, as well as fashion professionals from Finland, France, Turkey, Italy and Poland. Complementing the plethora of runway presentations, the Athens Concert Hall joins in the fashion frenzy and presents «Photography and Fashion,» starting on March 17 (show runs to May 7). The exhibition showcases works by fashion-loving photographers, including the celebrated Paolo Roversi and Sarah Moon. Meanwhile, local design is strengthening its ties with the diaspora. Late last month, veteran designer Michalis Aslanis became the first Greek-born designer to present a collection in Canada, on the occasion of the first Hellenic Emporium Fashion Gala in Toronto (with part of the proceeds benefiting the Hellenic Heritage Foundation toward the development of the city’s Center for Performing Arts). This Saturday, it’s Vlassis Holevas’s turn to display his offerings. He will do so at a catwalk presentation during the American Hellenic Institute’s annual dinner in Washington, DC.
