In his shoes

This is Spiros Zanias and this blog officially declares him as "Sitting Hero of FWA 09". Spiros was one of the floor managers in charge of the sitting at the recent FWA and I tell you, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes - which by the way were lovely and thought the bow touch deserved a picture of its own. I was watching him since day1, trying to place the right people in the right seats, literally guarding the front row from those who didn't give a fig about fashion but just wanted a good view and making sure everyone was quickly placed at the best available spot. He was dedicated, effective and in the end most guests were happy, which is not easy to achieve with such a mad bunch! Here are some highlights:

Alecca Rox: Which was the funniest moment you can recall?
Spiros Zanias: Each time I heard the words "do you know who I am?"

AR: Which was the toughest?
SZ: A very rude lady kept coming each day, demanding to sit in the front row, even though she had no relation to fashion or any of the designers. She was rude and offensive.

AR: Which advice would you give to someone in charge of this job?
SZ: Three conditions - be polite, be patient and be quick. Good luck!

FWA - the aftermath

This is a tough one. What took place in Technopolis the past few days, was a fashion event, that by no means represents the complete image of the Greek Fashion Force, not even that of Athens. That was obvious at first sight of the catwalk schedule, as well as this incident. However, there were important names showing there and some very talented new comers. I intentionally kept my comments to a minimum for each show, because I felt you should decide for yourself. However I did make a point each time I was impressed. Overall, in terms of people and happenings this was a toned down version of other seasons, probably because of the last minute announcement of its dates and participants.

FWA - day4, DElight

(read this post with head bent to the right)

DElight is a young designer duo aka Daphne Iliaki and Evi Retziou. This collection, themed "Kaleidoscope", was in excellent catwalk times (13 minutes), in a sweet spring pastel palette and of rather easy to wear shapes, spiced up with geometrical details, bold pleats and the right doses of strict black print. It was a breath of (very) fresh air, well-prepared and with a very high attendance of print-journalists. I am not so sure about the cropped tops, still I put a star next to this brand name too.

Other blogs reporting on this show:
Life in Athens
Queen B.
The Soho Symposium
Fashion Architect

*final photo by Vaggelis Rassias.

FWA - day4, Nikos-Takis

Nikos-Takis always hold one of the longest, most extravagant shows with a fashion sense of their own. In this one, singer Lefteris Pantazis did the closing march on the catwalk, in a room that was fuller than full.

Other bloggers reporting on this show:
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*pictures featured in this post that are not marked as mine, belong to Vaggelis Rassias.

FWA - day4, Giannetos

Should there was a true Hellenic Fashion Week, I believe this name should not be absent from the list. Didn't know much about Giannetos company, till I found this precious book inside my press kit. I was surprised to see it was a rare publication of the Giannetos family and how they turned from one village tailor's family in 1907 to an established firm making fine, classic tailleurs and suits today. As there are not many (if any at all) publications about the history of Greek fashion, I classify this illustrated book with rich archive and rare info, as a real gem and may I say how sad it is it's not up for sale in every bookstore. (If anyone's interested, you can seek it at Giannetos store, Stadiou 5 in Athens)

Even though it was the first show of the day (19.00) and it was raining cats and dogs, two factors that almost guarantee the room will be half empty, this show was quite full. Not the typical, trendy, flashy fashion, but some classic suits with a descreet modern twist, better styled for the kind than some of the most highly anticipated shows of FWA and sizes that seemed to be made for each model's measurements (something that should not even be mentioned for a show, but it seems this season it wasn't a standard).

The funky soul soundtrack of the catwalk, the true customers in the front row and the team bow at the end of the show were all extra touches I liked. A Greek company with a history of this many years, holding such an immaculate show, I was glad I made it, I was glad it took place and added to the variety of styles in FWA, I wish there were more shows in this spirit.

FWA - day3, Katerina Alexandraki

Katerina Alexandraki's show was themed "...art, nature and freedom..." Daisy petals were placed on the models lashes and scattered on the catwalk by a little girl at the beginning whereas the clothes were inspired by paintings hanging on the walls of museums around the world. Front row goodies: Katerina Alexandraki hairbands/brooches featuring a rose made out of fabric.

*photos: Vaggelis Rassias

FWA - day3, Makis Tselios

Makis Tselios is among the oldest designers around, in terms of years of experience. His followers: loyal. His vision for this coming spring: ice-white.

Other bloggers reporting on this catwalk show:
stylesheet19

*pictures in this post: Vaggelis Rassias

FWA - day3, Dimitris Petrou

I put a star next to Dimitris Petrou name too. His collection for s/s 10, "TRUE", was devided in two parts in my opinion, casual clothes with designer touch and tailored sexiness. The press release on the seats was the most coherent, accurate and well-written one I've seen in a while, so I am sharing it word-for-word:

There is no such thing as an extravaganza - nothing like posing, just TRUE clothes for real people. Inspired by the beauty and the spirit of the city we live in, the people we meet and the lovers we choose, this collection is all about the TRUE us, our friends and the clothes we love to wear.

A sweet romance between the masculine and the feminine, with a strict color palette of black and nude in strong, clean lines and pure silhouettes. True is all about us and a mirror.

Yes, that's actress Katerina Papoutsaki in the last photo. Music by Amateur Boyz, shoes by Kalogirou and sandals by Dimitris Petrou. I thought those sandals looked good before I even noticed it was another of Petrou's creations. As for the whole calf-high socks with men's shorts, I found it interesting on the catwalk even though I'd most likely classify it as weird in the street. Then again catwalk styling is exactly that: made for the catwalk, and is more acceptable to the eye when toned down on real people. Overall, a nice show with a generous goody bag by Apivita.

*all photos that are not marked as mine in this post, were shot by Vaggelis Rassias.

FWA - day3, Dimitri Zafiriou

Wearable shapes, consistent theme and styling, right doses of vibrant colours, perfect fits on models, fashion, all at Dimitri Zafiriou's catwalk last night. I put a little star next to his name.

FWA - day3, Julia Bergovich

Due to the lights being arranged for shooting from particular angles with ...well better cameras than mine, most of my photos turn out crap in catwalk shows. Only yesterday did I realise that if I tried shooting from a quite uncomfy position close to the ground, at least I can capture something decent to show you. Some you could even call arty. Then again some others, seriously disturbing (therefore omitted!)


Backstage helping the models get dressed in split secs: Katerina B, Hari K and Lopi.

Other bloggers featuring reports on this show today:
*stylesheet19
*shopping therapy
*fashion architect