Bozur
Amicus
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Post by Bozur on Apr 10, 2005 3:06:45 GMT -5
Greek fashion in vogue?From catwalk to glossy Local talent to join forces in Athens, while individual designers go abroad A Fall/Winter 2005-2006 look from Giorgos Eleftheriadis. The avant-garde designer is debuting in London in September. By Elis Kiss - Kathimerini English Edition 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. www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=53699
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Bozur
Amicus
Posts: 5,515
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Post by Bozur on Apr 10, 2005 3:58:58 GMT -5
Greek fashion about to shine The Diners Athens Collections InStyle will take place at Zappeion Hall from March 17 to March 20 Greek style. Models showcasing the work of up-and-coming fashion duo Mi-Ro, aka Dimitris Mastrokalos and Ioannis Raptis. Right: Romantic sexiness from Eriphylli Nikolopoulou. Both fashion houses will present catwalk presentations at next week’s Diners Athens Collections InStyle. 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. Generations of creativity 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. www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=53972
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Bozur
Amicus
Posts: 5,515
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Post by Bozur on Apr 10, 2005 17:09:12 GMT -5
Back in style, Athens hosts a double bill of fashion The country’s first ever Fashion Week and Moda Athena kick off tonight A garment by the Greek designer Emilio (l) and another creation by by Marcello Niktas (r). ELIS KISS This week you’re in for a test, a fashion test, that is, to see just how many trends, ideas and creative visions you can take in. Along with the first Greek Fashion Week, the Diners Athens Collections InStyle (organized by the Hellenic Fashion Designers Association) kick off their catwalk presentations at Zappeion Hall tonight, and yet another fashion event is scheduled to begin. Featuring a number of local and international fashion houses and designers, the second installment of Moda Athena (the first was in October, 2004) opens at the Hellenic Cosmos’s cultural center on Pireos Street and runs to March 23. The event is organized by D.I. Moda Athena, with NOVA acting as principal sponsor and media partner. Tonight’s Moda Athena opening is dedicated to charity, with a dinner in aid of the Societe Hellenique de Senelogie, a member of the World Society of Breast Cancer. During the course of the evening, works by participating Greek designers (all inspired by the Greek flag) will be auctioned with proceeds benefiting the association. Catwalk and installation presentations begin tomorrow. At the Hellenic Cosmos venue, the list of participating designers and houses on the local front includes: Alina & Mike, Angelos Frentzos, Anna Katramatou, Angelos Bratis, Costas Faliakos by Christos Petridis, Dukas, Elena Vorrea, Emilio, Kyriakos Paroutiadis, Lena Papachristophilou, Introducing Made4now, Maria Miha, Marcello Niktas, Panos Zinas, Penelope Zagoras, Polatof, Timis Parissis and Italy-based Thes Tziveli. On the international level, joining Moda Athena are Cypriot designers Afroditi Hera, (Paris-based) Erotocritos, Fani Couture and Pantelis Mitsu as well as Anna Ruohonen, Diego Dolcini, Fiona Winter Studio by Orwell Milano – Fiona Swarovski, Vivia Ferragamo and Giambattista Valli. Meanwhile at Zappeion Hall, the Hellenic Fashion Designers Association’s efforts to present a coherent Greek fashion front have united the following names: 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 Kyriakidis, Constantinos, Elina Lembessi, Loukia, Christos Mailis, Mi-Ro, Nicolas Mavropoulos, Nikolas, Erifylli Nikolopoulou, Nikos-Takis, Yiannos Xenis, Adria Papadopoulou, Orsalia Partheni, Simeoni, Makis Tselios, Vlassis Holevas, Katerina Alexandraki, Celia Dragouni, Chara Lembessi, Dimitris Dassios and Smaragdi Herheletzaki. Fashion is also taking over at the Athens Concert Hall, where an exhibition titled “Fashion and Photography” was inaugurated last night. Featuring works by leading Greek and foreign photographers, this show runs to May. www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54199
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Bozur
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Post by Bozur on Apr 11, 2005 13:15:01 GMT -5
Greek fashion extravaganza displays vision and promise for domestic industry Four-day event at Zappeion Hall, including 28 catwalk shows by 32 designers, proves a big hit By Elis Kiss - Kathimerini English Edition There's nothing more exciting than being present when something happens for the very first time. It is the kind of feeling that thousands of visitors enjoyed at the Zappeion Hall during the Diners Athens Collections InStyle, the first-ever Greek fashion week, which took place from March 17 to March 20. Organized by the Hellenic Fashion Designers Association in collaboration with IMAKO Media and Citibank's Diners Club card as principal sponsor and under the auspices of the Athens Municipality, the exciting event brought together the majority of local fashion players and whetted appetites for the next installment scheduled for the fall. Figures for the four-day event at Zappeion included 28 catwalk shows by 32 designers, which were attended by 450 members of the press, 100 models, 37,000 guests and about 1,000 members of staff working in production. Such a huge organization couldn't have been executed without a few glitches - shows running late and impractical security checks come to mind - but this is a time for looking at the big picture, which is a pretty one indeed: designers helping each other backstage and taking their front-row seats to watch their colleagues' collections; excited audiences applauding garments and their creators; everyone having fun; an opening reception in the presence of Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis (who pledged continuous support); and an inspired party hosted by LAK and InStyle at the Varvakeios meat market as well as a closing party at Venue. What emerged from the shows besides a plethora of creative visions? Clearly an understanding that a united front is the only way to go. And though this is just the beginning, the message is clear: It's time to start taking Greek designer fashion a little bit more seriously. Help them create a new fashion industry which will incorporate the savoir-faire of the old days (and that means bringing along other related industry players) with the demands of today - both local and international; create the necessary infrastructure in order for designers to be able to develop their production and product; nurture fresh talent; break a number of local barriers that hamper the designers' efforts, such as the inability on the part of some of the local media to focus on the designers' work as opposed to their personalities; and promote the idea that signature Greek fashion, style and design has a lot to say, both in Greece and abroad. www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54715
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Bozur
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Post by Bozur on Apr 11, 2005 13:16:16 GMT -5
Positive words from style VIPs bode well Participating in the event at the Zappeion Hall was a group of fashion professionals from abroad. Ranging from correspondents from Japan’s Harper’s Bazaar and the daily fashion industry trade paper Senken Shimbun to France’s authoritative Journal du Textile, the group attended shows and exchanged views with local fashion folk. For US-born and Paris-based fashion icon Diane Pernet, the Athens experience was shared online with avid readers of her www.ashadedviewonfashion.com blog. Though a prior engagement impeded her from staying in Athens for the entire event, she did participate on the opening night and followed shows on the first day. “I was very impressed by the location at the Zappeion Hall with the open air and the stars above,” said Pernet to this paper. “I suppose what struck me the most was the enthusiasm of the mayor, the designers and the guests.” Noting the “smocking details and the modern silhouettes,” of Deux Hommes, Pernet also commented on a “refreshing” shopping cart installation by LAK and enjoyed trying on items at Giorgos Eleftheriadis’s showroom. For Lydia Kamitsis, the Diners Athens Collections InStyle unfolded on a slightly more personal note. Given the fashion historian, author and curator’s Greek heritage, the event was a journey back to her roots and Kamitsis was closely following the Greek aspect. Did some kind of aesthetic arise? “In terms of the talent, whether among the young or the most established designers, there was a general feeling of an ancient Greece aesthetic, things like drapes, chiffon, mousseline and, at the same time, a casual yet noble casual look,” she said to Kathimerini English Edition. Financial Times and WGSN correspondent and buying consultant Robb Young, on the other hand, while not detecting “any cohesive Greek aesthetic” from the shows he attended, noted “an appreciation for the ‘body beautiful,’ body-conscious shapes, hand-worked embellishment and sex appeal.” Furthermore, Young emerged “optimistic about an organized, regular fashion platform in Greece,” deeming the Athens event “worth attending.” “I’ve discovered a couple of names new to me that are relatively promising and could have a future presence in the international arena,” said Young in an interview. “Considering that some seasons we pass the major fashion weeks in Paris, London, New York or elsewhere finding the same number or occasionally even fewer collections to add to our repertoire, it’s been a valuable journey all in all.” Both he and Kamitsis, however, noted the overall absence of major output. “I felt there was a lack of industrial production for real ready-to-wear, a lot of collections being in a small-scale production, if not sur mesure,” said Kamitsis. On the other hand, Young noted that Athens has a highly developed specialty retail market with forward-looking shops “importing some of the most directional and adventurous brands from around the world.” Overall for Kamitsis the event had an “observatory” role, offering an evaluation of where the field stands today. “Established fashion weeks are based on financial reasons, it’s a real activity sector, it’s above all business and then, as an accessory, a cultural phenomenon,” she stressed. The real challenge, she added, begins now, in creating the appropriate framework in order for the local fashion week to become a vehicle for economic and cultural growth. “You have to create ties with other local industries on the one hand, while creating the sense that there is creativity where we don’t expect to see it, in Greece, for instance. Another important challenge is to bring into all this the ministries of Finance, Development, Foreign Affairs, to help with exports, for instance,” she said. Besides the catwalk, Kamitsis feels that this kind of event should leave more space for action, including professional showrooms for conducting business as well as an opportunity for cultural promotion. “They are on the right track, on the condition that there is a real impetus to develop both the cultural and the economic aspects, not to maintain just a spectacle.” What kind of role could Greece play in the global arena of fashion weeks? “It is too early to say what place Greece could have in international competition,” said Kamitsis. “I can only imagine that its location and the ‘evening, vapors and drape aesthetics’ could allow to develop new markets toward the East and the Middle East, for instance. I also think that the strength of Greece could rely on its rich and somehow still present culture of details (the handwork in the couture but also in the decoration) as well as a natural sense of decontracte beauty.” “I do think that Greece could find its place as a fringe fashion week, but like anywhere else, this takes time and exposure,” said Pernet. “It is also super helpful that Sofia Kokosalaki has brought more attention to her native land and I look forward to Greece’s fashion future.” www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54714
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