Mary Katrantzou on why her spring/summer 2020 collection means more than just fashion
Zeus, the Greek god of sky and thunder was working in Mary Katrantzou’s favour on Thursday when the storm gave way to a waxing crescent moon – just in time for her spring/summer 2020 show at the Temple of Poseidon. It’s the first time Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) and Ministry of Culture have granted permission for a private event to be held at the UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of 18 in the country, situated just outside of Athens) – and Katrantzou created something suitably momentous.
“The collection was based on the ideas birthed in Greece in the 5th century BC, when the temple was built,” the 36-year-old designer tells . “From trigonometry to physics, biology to theology and philosophy; I wanted to show how these ideas dating back two-and-a-half thousand years are as modern today as they were then.”
The result? 38 totally unique dresses made using couture-standard techniques. “I didn’t feel a need to do couture because we aren’t in Paris and we don’t have an atelier there,” she insists. “Rather, I wanted to create pieces that are very singular. Each one is made to measure and has a different embellishment, a different silhouette, a different embroidery to show these ideas coming together and influencing one another, but at the same time standing alone.” One discus-shaped dress, called Innovation, layered a multitude of musings: the mathematical constant pi, originally defined by Archimedes as the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter; illustrations of Athena (the goddess of war) and Poseidon (god of the sea); a map of Greece under the emblem of peace that is the olive branch. All were immortalised in digital print, sequins and bugle beads. As with many of the looks, the dress was styled with Bulgari jewellery and footwear by Ancient Greek Sandals.
Opening the show was a monochrome column gown, titled Socrates, bearing the philosopher’s quote in hand-applied fringing and beading: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”. Meanwhile, a midnight blue halter-neck gown, named Astronomy – modelled by jewellery designer Eugenie Niarchos; granddaughter of shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos – was embroidered with celestial maps in tarnished silver.
Models walked to a duly dramatic soundtrack composed by Oscar-winning composer Vangelis, who worked with Katrantzou on Russell Maliphant’s contemporary dance production The Thread. The undulating layers of electronic music, incorporating elements of the soundtrack Vangelis created for Katrantzou’s spring/summer 2019 10th anniversary show, added to the feeling of wonder communicated through the clothes and emanating from the temple’s 15 original columns that remain standing.
The most moving moment came during the finale, when each model was joined by a young cancer survivor – just some of the thousands who have benefitted from treatment provided through the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer (ELPIDA) – a reminder of the real reason the audience had gathered there. “The purpose of the show was to raise awareness and money for ELPIDA,” says Katrantzou. Donations for tickets to the event started at €1000 (approximately AU$1,626), with proceeds going to the organisation, which was founded 30 years ago by the philanthropist Marianna Vardinoyannis who sat front row. “It wasn’t enough to do a slogan T-shirt, my team and I wanted to do better; to really push the envelope in terms of innovation and design,” Katrantzou continues. “This was the first time I had done something in Greece since I left [for London] and it’s the first time I have done something so connected to the country’s heritage. My emotional barometer has just exploded.”
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