Stelios Koudounaris. Fashion Designer
Stelios Koudounaris is originally from Cyprus and has been living in Athens for the last 17 years. He expresses his creative style in a geometric, architectural, wildly elegant way.
BYO: How would you describe the style of your designs?
STELIOS: After 13 years of work, I believe that I can now call it timeless. I see older designs worn today as if they are of today and you can not determine the season they belong. I usually ignore the trends and I develop my own creative narrative. It is definitely geometric, architectural, wildly elegant and delicate at the same time. Through my creations, I seek to make people look more alive, youthful, attractive, open and impressive.
BYO: Who is your target audience? Has your brand had success in the international market?
STELIOS: It is difficult for me to determine it because they are women and men of all ages, with different bodies and backgrounds. I find people desire clothes with personality, excellent quality materials and subversive elegance. Apart from Greece and Cyprus, my brand is very popular in Italy, Belgium, Russia and Lebanon. It makes me very happy because these are countries with completely different aesthetics and demands and yet my designs have had great success.
BYO: What do you think Greek Fashion is asking for?
STELIOS: Exactly the same as what is being asked for internationally. There are no borders for fashion. Information and images travel around the world at the same time. Desires are the same, with some changes regarding the climate and perhaps local habits and lifestyle of each country.
Women want to be in fashion, regardless of age. Nowadays, they state their age and willingness to do more without social stress.
Young people give a new definition of luxury as a concept on the time and experience, and purchase more value-based and not necessarily based on price.
BYO: What leads you to design and what led you to create from the beginning?
STELIOS: From a young age, I was very intrigued by the pictures and the clothes I saw. I always wanted to change and correct something, putting my own touch on everything. For me, my profession is primarily my way of expressing myself. A way to narrate what I think through my clothes, intervening in the images of the city, dressing the world with my thoughts. There were times that I thought I could deal with something else, because as a restless spirit I have many different interests, but fashion is really what fascinates me more than anything else.
BYO: Is Greek fashion inspired by local or international designers?
STELIOS: The land itself, the sun, the history and the memories that everyone has, contribute to the style of the Greeks. Greekness and what we have experienced, our attitude towards life is our style. If the Greek creation has personality and authenticity but also consistency, then it clearly plays a decisive role in shaping the style of the Greeks, even if that becomes subconsciously.
BYO: What does it mean for a designer to reach high, to be recognized in the field of fashion?
STELIOS: For me personally, the only measure of success is how much one of my clothes becomes a favourite and how often someone wants to wear it.
BYO: What motivates you?
STELIOS: Love and stressful deadlines are the main things that motivate me. Sometimes, even an insignificant occasion or an interesting discussion.
BYO: What inspires you to be creative? Are there things in the city that inspire you?
STELIOS: I am inspired by the city itself, its architecture, its energy, its rhythms, the children who skate in Syntagma square, the older ladies who dress nicely and go for a walk in the Kolonaki area, the homeless, the immigrants and the ghetto neighbourhoods in the centre of Athens, the smell of the orange groves in spring, the flea markets, the different people who hang out together in bars, parties, receptions and Greek night clubs, the ships that set sail in the port ... there are so many things that are inspiring in this city that I would not like to live anywhere else.
BYO: What is the most important thing you have learned through your work?
STELIOS: To follow my instinct, that nothing is given to us for free. That everything can be done if you concentrate and show dedication to your work.
BYO: What can we expect from you in the new season?
STELIOS: I am very happy working on two different collections at the same time. I hope that you will love them as much as I do.
Flagship Store:
4 Anagnostopoulou str. & Xanthou, 10673, Kolonaki, Athens, tel. 210 7215856
