ESPADRILLES ARE THE NEW HEELS ERGON MYKONOS

Creative Director & Founder of Ergon Mykonos, Marietta Karpathiou has managed to turn her experience in architecture and her artistic nature into a brand that embodies her vision of daily art along with the timeless inventiveness of the Greek spirit. Ergon Mykonos brand represents the fusion of arts, styles, cultures, and eras and is always open to new additions and challenges.

What’s the inspiration behind Ergon Mykonos?

ERGON Mykonos has been created as a way of putting all our creativity, imagination, style and Greek spirit in a single brand and every time taking out a unique product, idea or piece of art. Ergon has been established more than 5 years ago as a brand that showcases the union of several expressions of art: architecture, product design, fashion design and installation design.

What, in your opinion, makes this brand unique?

Ergon Mykonos brand represents the fusion of arts, styles, cultures, and eras in Greece and Internationally and is always open to new additions and challenges.

In your last collection, you focused on 3 elements: proportion, functionality, and form. How do you combine these attributes?

The definition of beauty during the Hellenistic period in Greece attributed Beauty to PROPORTION, FUNCTIONALITY, and FORM. All three attributes are present in the new designs: Geometry in the repeated patterns made with the ancient technique of the loom, Artistic Harmony, Natural elements in forms and shapes that resemble the Greek life and environment, motifs with Hellenistic statues combined with colours & textures of today’s Greece. Functionality and Form are represented in the Free Sizes Policy that we adopt. We believe in Women that shape the clothes, not the other way around and all of our designs can be fit to be worn by any size or shape.

Your collections include shoes, clothing, and homeware. Which one is your favorite to design?

All of them are unique and all of them are based on the same design principles. Every new collection has a core concept, the inspiration that stems from a combination of eras and materials. This same concept is materialized through all the collections. In each art, however, the technique differs and on that, we always follow handmade, original, forgotten techniques and genuine craftsmanship.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the creative process and the production of your pieces?

The manufacturing of the textiles is made through the ancient method of the loom. In the current collection, the handmade process has been replaced by the Hellenistic mechanical loom. Every motif has a repetition of 25cm, a technique followed in Greece during that period and the fabric is 100% pure cotton. A magical process for the creators that leads to an authentically Hellenic collection with designs, textiles, and fabrics that make the woman of today feel unique. The pottery collection has strong pop influences and is a statement on its own in the design and provocativeness of the messages. All the items refer to the connection of the past with the present. Everything is handmade and genuine in craftsmanship. We work with professionals who have mastered all of the above techniques in several areas of Greece.

We love your espadrilles. We believe that it’s an absolute essential for summer in Greece. Could you describe an ideal outfit for a summer night in Mykonos?

We would definitely suggest the espadrilles to walk comfortably along the streets of Matoyiannia with a long sleeved kaftan, airy but warm to keep you safe from the Aegean breeze. Our cotton materials are chosen for this same reason. A statement piece of jewellery is always a must. Don’t forget your straw hat during the morning walks and your sunscreen!

Where can we find your collections?

You can find our collections in our flagship store in 23, Florou Zouganeli Str., Matoyiannia, Mykonos, in all our partners around Greece, in several boutique stores abroad (see stockists on our website) and of course shop online atwww.ergonmykonos.comFacebook and Instagram. 

Where will the brand be showcased next?

The next show for Ergon Mykonos is the Cabana Show in Miami from 14th -16th of July. We invite you to the 3rd floor of the W hotel to have a look at most of our products, feel the fabrics and see the designs. The whole collection will be shown in Paris in September for the European buyers.

 

Interview by Vasia Fragkou