Angelos Bratis – Greek Fashion In Italian Exile
For the last part of our Greek Fashion-series The Blogazine interviewed last year’s winner of Vogue Italia’s Who Is On Next? award – Rome-based designer Angelos Bratis. We decided to find out why the man has chosen to drape his garments directly on the mannequin, and what does he think about the Greek Fashion Crisis.
How do you feel about living in Italy, what are the good and the bad sides in comparison to Greece?
The only bad thing is that I miss my friends and family in Greece. Business-wise things are much better, since Italy has a long history in fashion, and Milan, where I have based my line, is one of the most important fashion capitals.
You suit every dress to the mannequin instead of having it pre-made. Why is that? Wouldn’t it be easier to just have them pre-sown?
By draping my garments on the mannequin I try to reach and discover new forms and solutions to dress the body every time. It’s a work in progress, every dress leads you to a new one. Sometimes the most interesting pieces come from mistakes, and I love surprises.
You’ve already done almost every single fashion week, but have you had any specific turning point in your career when you felt “now it’s happening”?
It’s a long way but I do have had moments when I felt empowered to continue, like winning the first prize of Who Is On Next? in last year’s competition of Vogue Italia. And seeing the gigantic pictures of Michel Mallard with my dresses at Musée Galliera in Paris, staying on display there for 2 years.
What is Greek fashion to you?
At the moment, I don’t really see a Greek fashion school or style coming out of Greece. It’s more about individual voices that certainly have a lot to say. Though, I think the Greek goddess style is an international classic that has inspired all designers in some point of their careers and something that the Oscar’s red carpet will always adore.
What about the financial crisis, is there any hope for the fashion world?
I hope that the Greek people will find soon a way out of this European crisis that is killing their dreams and destroying their everyday life, I am looking forward to a new strong generation of young designers coming out of Greece.
