The Project

Couture Grecque is an ongoing fashion, photo and video project that exhibits the beauty of the Greek traditional costume, its timeless value and aesthetic, through modern pieces, each one inspired by a different region of Greece. 

The traditional costume of each place always represents an integral part of its culture and expresses every element of its people’s lives.The materials from which it is made can reveal not only the production process but also the professions of the local inhabitants. Thus, where cotton was grown, cotton fabrics predominated, just as woollen fabrics predominated in mountain regions or in agricultural populations, and so on. 

The color combinations of each costume show its aesthetic, while the design was always intended to meet the needs of the people in every region. Additionally,  the traditional costume can reflect the history of each region, its struggles and influences induced by traders or conquerors throughout the years. 
All these factors make the traditional costume a valuable cultural heritage and source of knowledge. 

The rapid changes that have taken place in modern life have made it difficult to use and integrate it into everyday life, formal and festive activities, and have converted it into a museum exhibit. 

This collection is inspired by the traditional costume of various regions of Greece; however the dresses themselves are not traditional. They draw inspiration from the beauty of Greek tradition, folklore and the traditional Greek Costume. 

The photoshooting of the “Couture Grecque” pieces, that takes place at different locations, always next to the traditional costumes that served as inspiration, aims to highlight the beauty, richness and value of folk tradition, as well as  its power to survive through time as a source of inspiration and an expression and embodiment of beauty. 

This project takes place in various places in Greece that honour and preserve their authentic traditional costumes, where local women wear the traditional costumes or pieces that belong to their family or local associations and have been preserved with great respect, in order to be passed on to future generations. 

This project not only reflects the unparalleled value of the traditional costume and its ability to influence and inspire fashion, but also capture the timeless beauty of Greek women. 

This project is a tribute to Greek art, textile, expression, femininity, as well as an ode to the versatility and diversity of the Traditional Garment. Lastly, this project promotes and proposes sustainability through fashion. Through the traditional costume one can see how a more sustainable way of life has been long achievable and see how its elements and its timeless aesthetic values can work in the present and be transformed into the values of today through creativity and art.