behind the brand

We spoke to Stavroula Giannoulatou, founder of the premium resort wear label Greek Archaic Kori, about her vision, her love for craftsmanship and how she manages to keep the balance between work and family.

The spring/summer 2022 collection

First of all, how are you doing?

I am really busy and dedicated, doing my best to make everything perfect for our clients, but on the other hand I am very excited for the upcoming season!

What was the initial idea behind Greek Archaic Kori?

The brand is founded in Athens, Greece in 2017 and it is designed and produced in our brand’s headquarters in Athens. The truth is that handmade garment crafting is heritage from our family and as a result, we always had the desire to try out something unique and exclusively original in clothing.

The brand was created with the goal of producing a high quality, yet an affordable and elegant line of clothing for every woman. Within just a few years, it has gained tremendous popularity in both Greece and abroad and we are proud of being the start line of this.

How would you describe the aesthetic identity of your brand?

Greek Archaic Kori is interrelated with nature, and it signifies “Helios” (aka: the sun), the powerful light, the Mediterranean Sea, the Greek islands and the wind. Its strong identity and authenticity came from simplicity and naturality and are contributing factors that lead to people loving our brand.

Where do you find your inspiration? Has this changed over the past two years?

Nature has always intrigued me, along with the Greek elements and traditions as well. I think that this combination has been my limitless source of inspiration through all these years. It is true: over the past two years we faced critical moments as a mankind, and we still do, but fashion was and will always be a getaway for me.

Do you have a specific woman in mind while designing the collection?

Truth be told, I do not have a particular woman in mind when I design my collections, but myself. I only create styles that I would like to wear and offer them to all women as well. The point is to make every woman feel beautiful, unique and most importantly natural by wearing Greek Archaic Kori.

"Fashion was and will always be a getaway for me."

How did you end up in fashion? Is it something you were always interested in?

Actually, fashion and clothing crafting are family tradition. My father-in-law started with crafting and merchandising high quality, handmade womenswear. I got interested in fashion from the very beginning and I learnt everything about garment crafting from him. Then me and my husband created Greek Archaic Kori and I illustrated my ideas along with knowledge and experience on high quality, handmade crafting.

What does a day at the Greek Archaic Kori headquarters in Athens look like?

If I had to choose only one word to describe a typical day in our headquarters, it would be creativity. And this is not only for our clothing itself, but the way that we function and work as a whole. Creative solutions and suggestions are the main reason for the result and the effect we bring about.

Our studio is a spacious and wide-open place. Everything from designing, crafting and packing to direct communication that we have with our clients, take place in our studio. Every day begins with all of us setting up our programs, working on them. Meetings, emails and calls are all over the place.

What do you think when you see someone wearing Greek Archaic Kori?

I am proud of what I have managed so far. In fact, it is a representation of my personal effort and ideas on this. It is more than I ever dreamed of.

Do you have a favourite design from the spring/summer collection?

It's hard to choose one piece. All pieces in my collection are my favourite ones. My pivotal idea is to illustrate ideal styles that I would like to wear for SS22. Thus, every single style has been designed in order to be a part of the whole collection that I created for all women.

"We primarily choose natural fabrics, friendly to the environment but also to our skin."

What did you learn from having your own business?

Actually, it took - and it still does - a lot of effort to balance my own business along with raising kids and having a family. This is the most essential thing that I have been taught so far.

What does Greek Archaic Kori contributes to sustainability?

We believe in doing our part in promoting responsible consumption and a more sustainable future by choosing to produce on-demand and aim to minimise the environmental impact of fashion’s overproduction. By launching our collection in time and accepting pre-orders we can fairly anticipate the needs and plan the volume accordingly. Our production is local and takes place in our headquarters in Athens. We have created long-lasting relationships with our production teams, in order to improve crafting techniques and the quality of our products. We primarily choose natural fabrics, friendly to the environment but also to our skin. Durable and breathable fabrics that feel soft and light, such as cotton, linen, and silk.

"My one and only future plan is to continue with sharing my ideas and fashion globally. This is something that fills me with energy and inspiration, it makes me creative and complete."

Any future plans you would like to share with us?

My one and only future plan is to continue with sharing my ideas and fashion globally. This is something that fills me with energy and inspiration, it makes me creative and complete.

Discover the Greek Archaic Kori collection in our stores and online at Pauw.com.