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Daphne Valente: Greek women are fashionable but with no flair

22 November 2010 / 16:11:43  GRReporter
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Is the Greek woman fashionable nowadays?

Yes, the Greek woman is fashionable. She chooses the appropriate clothing depending on her social status. However, I would prefer to see women here have style. Not to be just fashionable, because it is easy to be fashionable. But few are those who decide that they like to wear a specific colour, to have their own style. This is what Greek women lack. But, of course, they are fashionable. I would also like them to have more courage. It seems now that women are confined to a specific type of clothing determined by some brands. I'd like people here to experiment a little more.

Many things were found in fashion. There is no ‘fever’ for something new ...

That is true. But there is big difference in clothing in England though. You could see a lot of crazy clothes. I like that. I have always liked it. That's why I say that I want people here to look for themselves in clothing more.

Isn’t the Greek woman creative in her everyday life? Doesn’t she seek, experiment with her clothing?

Look, as things are going lately in our country, the last thing of interest to the Greek woman is how to combine fashion. Fashion began to lose its strength a little. You understand what I mean. As to creativity, yes, she is creative. However, I would like to see a little more culture and personal style come out from this creativity. I do not care so much that someone will buy nice clothes and combine them with other clothes. I want to see the personal element, the personal stamp. But this is just a personal opinion of mine.

Let's talk a little about the crisis and fashion. This is a worldwide phenomenon. It is felt more strongly in Greece perhaps. Do you think that better days for fashion will come?

I have no definitive answer to this question. I wish this to happen. I talk to people and there is much of pessimism. Everyone expects the crisis to continue and worse days to come. When you have no money, you have no mood to dress nice. Logically, one of the first things you give up in times of crisis is fashion. You can not give up food or your children’s school, for example. There is no room for a new pair of shoes or a dress. So, I offer smart solutions. A dress looks different with a scarf. You change things with an accessory. And you are at ease because you didn’t spend a lot of money, but your style has changed.

They say that fashion has always existed. And it will exist with or without a crisis ...

That’s right. This is because every one of us wants to belong somewhere. Fashion originated from the hierarchy. I will give a child at school for example. The child wants to wear the blouse the others wear. Or pants. When at a social event, women are watching each other and making assessments: Here's this woman, she has shoes of that brand, and so she is one of us.Or men’s watches... We place the other at a particular social level, depending on the clothes he or she wears. This is not the case in nudists’ society. But we dress the way the group we want to belong dresses. Fashion is very strong. Accordingly, fashion continues to exist in times of crisis. It existed during the war. Only it was much modest, much stringent. There was no extreme stuff then; things were much more classic and simple. In my opinion, fashion then was much more correct as the garment was perceived as something that protects us. We could see then that we dress for an everyday life. The three canons of fashion are: hierarchy, sexuality, prevention of cold or heat. Now, during the crisis, we might turn more to the base, which is simply to dress for everyday life. And not to buy clothes for a reception that we dress only once.

In that case, could fashion become ‘healthier’? 
 

Consumerism that existed in recent years has been terminated now. And yes, fashion will become healthier. There are many things we do not need. I'll tell you something else. It is bad taste already when someone demonstrates he or she has money. We have become monsters in terms of receptions and other events of excessiveness in recent years. Let us now calm down a little. We do not need all that. We have come to a level to judge what we need and what we do not need.

What are your plans for the future? Jewelry or clothing...?

I no longer have the courage to do apparel collections at this stage of my life. This made me very tired. To do a fashion show has become a nightmare for me at one point. Last summer I dreamt that I had a fashion show and the collection was not ready, or I forgot to send invitations, or no one had come. So, I realized that I am not strong enough to do such things. Fittings made me very tired too. To dress a garment on a body needs a lot of fittings. I do not want to get involved with clothes in this period of my life. Of course, I can change my mind tomorrow. But I turn to jewelry for now. I plan to sell them at art stores and website that I will develop. I want to do exhibitions too. I like this very much.

Tags: Daphne ValenteFashionLightness of beingJewelry Apparel
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