Having built a brilliant career, you are now established as a talented designer who continually delights and surprises us. Which moments do you consider the most crucial and defining steps of this fascinating journey?
The most crucial and defining moments of my career began after completing my studies at Marangoni, when I found myself working in Giorgio Armani’s atelier and later at Trussardi. These experiences allowed me to understand essential aspects of the profession in practice and gave me great confidence. When you are just starting out, you have nothing yet to prove, simply because you haven’t done anything before. Being selected to be there meant a great deal to me and helped me enormously.
Another very important milestone in my career is the trust that so many people have placed in me at one of the most significant moments of their lives—asking me to create their wedding dress. I would also add the capsule collection I created for the anniversary of 1821. Through this collection, a collaboration began with Mrs. Gianna Angelopoulos. She herself, as a person, has been a source of inspiration for me, and the fact that we worked together was truly significant.
Equally important was my decision to create capsule collections centered around specific themes—whether Greek history, tradition, or major global issues such as ecology and sustainability. This includes the sustainability collection I presented in 2023 and the collection made from recycled fishing nets by Diopas, which are otherwise discarded in the sea. This project was a particularly meaningful moment for me and was recognized with an award from the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
And now, the time has come for my collaboration with N.E.M.A. of the Benaki Museum through this particular exhibition.
Tell us about the pillars of your creative engagement with fashion and the direction you are currently pursuing.
The main pillar of my creative engagement with fashion is custom-made design. I do not love prêt-à-porter; I love personal interaction with women. This stemmed from my need to create unique garments—something that cannot happen unless the clothes carry elements of the character and personality of the person who wears them.
Over time, this choice was further validated by the realization that prêt-à-porter is highly burdensome for the planet, while custom-made fashion turned out to be a wise and more sustainable approach, even though I was not consciously aware of this at the beginning.
My direction is to continue this dialogue with every woman who places her trust in me, and to continue creating thematic collections—each one different, inspired by something that intrigues and motivates me to create and to communicate a message to the audience. From this point forward, I want to follow a more artistic path. I feel that I have already fulfilled my need for creative expression as a designer by creating garments for a large number of people. Now, I want to pursue a more artistic inclination, driven by a personal need, because I believe I still have much to say and to offer.
What is the central axis of your choices, and where do you focus your attention?
It is always the specific individual who inspires me. I focus on highlighting personality, which is achieved through very concrete elements. I am interested in each person’s movement, I understand their style, and I adjust my approach according to how the person in front of me expresses themselves.
This explains the wide range of garments I have created—from eccentric brides to very classical ones. This is, I believe, how anyone working in custom-made fashion operates. My focus, therefore, is on the personality and the mode of expression of each woman.
How do Greek tradition and handcrafted creation fit into the spectrum of your artistic exploration?
They are deeply imprinted in my subconscious. I grew up in a home where my mother embroidered and bought traditional textiles from Soufli. Having been born in Alexandroupoli and raised in Komotini, we were closely connected to the silk traditions of Soufli. From a very young age, I was exposed to these elements, as my mother loved sewing and embroidering her own clothes.
Even when I do not consciously reference tradition, it is embedded within me. I have always loved craftsmanship. I learned how to embroider at a young age—something I enjoyed greatly and which later helped me professionally, as it allowed me to explain techniques to others when I did not have the time to execute them myself.
Greek tradition and handcrafted creation are always part of my explorations, because this is where I come from and what I truly love.
What about your exhibition in Athens. How did the idea begin, and what does the exhibition explore?
The exhibition in Athens, in collaboration with the Benaki Museum and hosted at N.E.M.A., is an idea that was born exactly two years ago. When I moved to Athens, right after relocating my atelier, the very first thing I did was to meet Mrs. Virginia Matseli in person and visit N.E.M.A. When I opened the door and saw the space, I was instantly enchanted. It is a highly creative environment filled with colors, silk threads, and everything one can possibly produce from them—it is my world. This is the kind of space where I belong.
Creating with my hands, using threads and yarns, is something I have always done in my atelier. So I suddenly found a place that felt like the space of my dreams, and that is how the idea emerged. As a designer, however, I wanted to use all these materials—braids, trimmings, and passementerie—not merely as decorative elements, but to give them a leading role by creating surfaces and volumes.
When I mentioned this in a press interview, journalists asked me what exactly this meant and how I intended to do it. The truth is that we have been doing this in my atelier for years. We have created wedding dresses and garments by constructing meshes, because I love making structures—creating the raw material, the fabric itself. Creation begins with the raw material. Perhaps it is a personal need to create something original, and now I am expressing it in a more focused and articulate way, as the threads themselves are highly distinctive and the process becomes tangible.
I also enjoy deconstructing and rebuilding materials from scratch. There are materials that I destroy and then reconstruct, because that is how I create something that is truly my own—something unique that has not existed before. The women at N.E.M.A. who create these woven trimmings told me they could never have imagined their materials being used in this way. That is precisely the role of the designer: to create something unique that no one else could envision beforehand.
Just as I admire architects for creating volumes within a space—something I could never imagine myself, because they are trained to do so—the same applies to fashion designers. Our job is to create garments in ways that no one else could have conceived.
How does thread become the central element connecting your creations, and what is the purpose of this exhibition?
Thread is the fundamental raw material of everything created in fashion. Without thread, there is no garment. This is why Mentis–Antonopoulos Thread Mill, which produces these cords and trimmings, is so closely connected to my work. There, one finds materials of exceptional quality that simply do not exist elsewhere, which is why so many creators turn to them.
I would like to make special mention of their dyeing techniques and the extraordinary quality of their colors—I am always fascinated by what I see. Having visited many places connected to my work, and having traveled to countries with strong traditions in craftsmanship—such as Peru with its plant-based dyes, India, and China—I can confidently say that Mentis–Antonopoulos produces some of the most beautiful dyes in the world.
The aim of this exhibition is to show the public that tradition does not necessarily mean the faithful repetition of familiar motifs. These traditional patterns are jewels of popular artistic expression—true masterpieces—but my intention is to use the materials themselves to demonstrate that we can move forward, evolving them into avant-garde creations through sculptural techniques.
Just as Haute Couture moves beyond the classical notion of dressmaking and approaches the realm of sculpture, this is a direction that deeply resonates with me. It inspires and excites me, and I want to show that this path is not only possible but full of creative potential.
How did your collaboration with Mrs. Matseli and her team develop, and why did you choose this specific space?
My collaboration with Mrs. Matseli and her team was exceptional. From the very first moment I shared the idea with her, she was enthusiastic and encouraged me to submit the proposal and present it to the board. From there, everything followed its course smoothly.
Her team consists of people who deeply understand their field and experience the work carried out at NE.M.A. with enthusiasm, belief, and passion—because without these elements, nothing meaningful can be achieved. The reason for choosing this space is obvious: it is where the very materials that inspired me are produced, materials that have inspired generations of creators.
It is characteristic that NE.M.A. has collaborated with fashion houses such as Hermès, Dior, and Gaultier, and that its products travel all over the world. Mrs. Matseli, together with the Benaki Museum, has succeeded in reviving the Mentis Thread Mill and elevating it to this remarkable level.
How easy is it to redefine the norms of fashion today? What have you reconsidered, and what do you remain faithful to?
We live in a country with specific limitations, but I am not someone who believes that living in Greece prevents you from achieving anything. I followed what I believed in, and my journey showed me that people responded positively to what I had envisioned. Living in a small country that does not play a major role in the global fashion scene did not stop me.
Redefining fashion norms is not easy, especially because it also involves entrepreneurship. Being both a designer and a small or medium-sized business owner today is inherently difficult—but it is part of our responsibility. Designers are obliged to constantly create new narratives. We are required to create objects that people can fall in love with.
I often recall an interview with Tom Ford from about fifteen years ago, where he said that no one in the Western world truly needs a new pair of shoes, a bag, or a garment—everyone is already saturated. Yet designers are obliged to create that need. I would add: by creating lovable, desirable products. No one buys anything unless they fall in love with it.
Designers who manage to redefine fashion are those who create work that captures the public’s imagination, even when facing the overwhelming force of fast fashion. These are the creators who, in my opinion, truly have a future.
I remain faithful to minimalism and try to filter everything through my own lens. What I have reconsidered is the idea of visibility and exposure. As Loukia recently said in an interview—and she is someone I deeply admire—a designer and their work are not promoted through social events and superficial appearances.
True leaders in fashion are devoted workers of the craft, such as the creative director of Schiaparelli, Anderson at Dior, or Blazy at Chanel. They spend endless hours working and thinking, something evident even in how they dress or stand in front of journalists and photographers. They are not interested in social glamour; they are people who work relentlessly, and that shows. I admire this deeply. The era of the socialite designer is over.
Fashion as a form of high art that approaches the realm of sculpture—is this something that concerns you, and if so, how do you engage with it?
It absolutely concerns me, and that is why it excites me so much. I strive to find materials and create works that move beyond the narrow boundaries of traditional dressmaking. As a designer, I draw inspiration from figures such as Madeleine Vionnet and Madame Grès, from the 1930s interwar period, when moulage techniques were reintroduced—techniques that directly reference Ancient Greece.
I have used moulage for many years, even without having been formally taught. I admired it deeply, and at some point, I simply took a piece of fabric, thought about it, and did it. It is a form of sculpture—it does not rely on patterns. You do not create a flat blueprint of the garment; instead, you shape the fabric directly on a mannequin or a body.
It is not easy. You need a trained eye, perception, and empathy to succeed. It comes naturally to me, but I constantly try to interpret and understand how Haute Couture creations are constructed. This curiosity has always been part of me.
When I was finishing my studies in Milan, I would visit designers’ boutiques and try on pieces I had seen in magazines as if I were a potential client, attempting to understand how they were made. I have conducted endless “industrial espionage,” and I am not ashamed to admit it. I was always trying to answer the question: How was this made?—a question I still ask myself today when I look at Haute Couture creations.
Are you satisfied with how Greek fashion is evolving, and what do you consider its most important achievements?
There is talent in Greek fashion. The fact that we have established a collective body—the Panhellenic Association of Fashion Designers—is, in my view, one of our most important collective achievements as Greek designers. Beyond that, however, everyone works independently, with individual accomplishments, and there is little else to show on a collective level.
There is no organized platform to present Made in Greece internationally. For that to happen, a coordinated effort is required, particularly in terms of marketing and management—a collective initiative similar to what has been done with Fashion Week in Dubai or in other regions that are not traditional fashion capitals, yet successfully attract investors and buyers. Perhaps together we can achieve this as well, and that would be significant not only for us, but also for the next generations of designers to come.
What will your upcoming collections bring, and what are your immediate plans?
They will introduce garments that carry elements of sculpture, yet remain wearable. After all, this is also true of what is presented at N.E.M.A. of the Benaki Museum. For me, it is essential that the body feels comfortable and able to move freely, and I believe we have achieved that.
In my immediate plans is the creation of a fashion show or an exhibition. I do not yet know the exact format through which I will present a large collection of garments, but I believe it will happen next year. I want to show the full range of my work to the audience of Athens and Greece more broadly.
From the wide range of garments you create, which ones do you love the most?
Those that best express the person who wears them.
Which one is your own favorite garment and how does it make you feel when you wear it?
Two leather jackets I bought second-hand in Milan. On one of them, I have pinned a Versace brooch that I have never removed. It was designed by a fellow student of mine who had done an internship at the Versace house. It was never put into production—it was a sample—and she gave it to me as a gift.
They remind me of my student years in Milan, full of dreams, which ultimately became the starting point for everything.
Who helps you evolve creatively and professionally, and in what ways?
The women themselves who come to me. Every new woman is truly a challenge—to create for a new personality, with her own needs and particularities, setting her own conditions for the design. My collaborators also help me immensely. I am fortunate to have a team with whom I can genuinely communicate and collaborate beautifully, and I want to publicly say a big thank you to them. For the creations of the exhibition, they truly gave their very best.
And of course, my husband, who supports me unconditionally.
What do you hold closest to your heart as your most significant achievements?
The fact that I managed to come through the financial crisis unscathed. Also, my meeting with Marylin Fitoussi, the costume designer of Emily in Paris, during an appointment in Milan. She was enthusiastic about my creations and even described one of them as a “mythical dress.” Unfortunately, the script changed in June 2023 and different costumes were needed for Rome, but it was nonetheless a powerful validation of my design work.
I also consider it a significant achievement that I have managed to fully express my creativity.
A story you will never forget
A woman came to my atelier and asked me to create a green wedding dress. Just a few days earlier, a friend—a well-known entrepreneur in Thessaloniki—had asked me what I would do if someone requested a green wedding dress, and he advised me that if it ever happened, I should do it.
The first thing I did was ask her whether she knew my friend, thinking it might be a prank—but it wasn’t. I followed his advice, the dress turned out beautifully, and the bride was thrilled. It was her second marriage and she did not want a traditional wedding dress. That story has stayed with me ever since.
A dream project
To create a fashion exhibition for a museum in Greece with a specific theme related to Ancient Greece—but not as it is commonly perceived by the general public. I would rather not reveal more at this stage.
When you enter a space, what do you notice first?
The atmosphere. When there are people present, I notice whether the space makes me feel comfortable, whether there is a positive aura. When it is empty, the space either inspires me or makes me want to leave. It is entirely about the emotion it evokes.
Three places you love returning to, and why
Thessaloniki is my home. It will never leave my life. I have kept my house exactly as it was, our “country house,” as my husband calls it.
Milan, the city where I studied—and Italy in general—since I visited my mother’s brother in Trieste from a very young age.
South Africa was a revelation for me: a continent that taught me a great deal about how people living close to nature can find happiness with very little, in harmony with their environment.
Your personal definition of beauty
It resides in the Ionic column. Human civilization, in its achievements, has never surpassed the beauty of the Ionic column. There lies absolute beauty, perfect symmetry, perfect balance, and the ideal reflection of light.
Ancient Greek sculptors, working under the luminous Attic sky, knew exactly how to manage light so that reflection would be correct. I consider it something of unparalleled beauty.
What do you consider authentic today?
Anything genuine—from a meaningful conversation with an ordinary person to anything that is not contrived. Anything that remains faithful to its principles and does not seek attention through affectation. That, for me, is authenticity.
If you were to design something for TheAuthentics.gr, what would it be?
I would design a garment similar to the one featured in the exhibition at NE.M.A., a wedding dress made from woven silk and lurex trimming, created using the moulage technique, with clear references to Madame Grès and Ancient Greece. This balance between minimalism and avant-garde would suit it perfectly.
The Benaki Museum is hosting the exhibition “Garment of Threads” by designer Denise Eleftheriou at the premises of the Mentis–Antonopoulos Thread Mill (N.E.M.A.). The exhibition will run until March 28, 2026.
