Ioanna Kourbela is a Greek fashion designer that was literally brought up among threads, fabrics and soft knits due to her family's clothing store in Plaka, Athens, just below the Acropolis. "It
felt as though people were celebrating endlessly; our visitors, being on
holiday, were full of smiles and laughter. Our clothes dressed people and when
worn by them reflected their diversity," Kourbela remembers.
Needless to say that this exact upbringing plays to this day a significant part when it comes to inspiration. The
great variety of colour and form have led create freely flowing pieces, ready
to adapt to one’s mood, the space and the moment one is in. "My
approach in designing a new piece is that clothes should have a life of their
own; they should be open to change as people are," Kourbela explains.
For Kourbela, the city as well as nature are places that help her creative juices flow. "The
hectic pace of city living stimulates my creativity, the bustle excites me, and
in nature I can find myself again," she says. "My pieces contain elements of both. But my
center is the human being. The figure. Always specific, and with a story of its
own to tell."
Kourbela's Spring/Summer 2012 collection is named "Je rêve," meaning "I dream" in French. "I close my eyes and I dream... Dreams are a sequence of images, ideas and senses," she says in her description. Her minimalistic, flowing silhouettes exude confidence, elegance and carelessness inspired by the French Riviera of the 1950s. Ioanna's focus is on balloon shapes and inventive hems. Her emphasis is focused from the waist downwards. Her collection is plentiful in wide skirts, in asymmetric tunics that focus on the hems, and knitted overalls with 3/4 sleeves.
The collection is filled with colors that look "washed-out" by the summer sun, hues that are inspired from the sunset, dreamy two-tones, icy shades of grey, mellow tints of blush and dominant black and whites.
Ioanna's fabrics make even her casual clothes look interesting. Handcrafted yarns, made of cut-out fabrics, synthesize 3-dimensional handmade knits. Cotton fabrics with a papery feel, linens covered with wax, transparent gauze, lacy knits, cotton tulle and silk crepe are some of the fabrics that give life to her clothes, and make turn their owner into a modern Cinderella.
The oversized conceptual accessories add to the distinct and unique look. Not shy of different styles, but with a great variety in accessories, Kourbela offers a multitude of accessories that will satisfy even the most demanding of tastes, including natural, raw ropes that fasten with magnets, bags made of handmade fabric yarns, leather collars, necklaces and belts made of shiny silk, oversized bags decorated with nautical knots, leather length-adjustable belts, knitted belts and knitted hair accessories to name a few.
The use of natural fibers, is not at all a random selection for Kourbela. On the contrary,
Ioanna loves using natural fibers, "they
not only enrich and add to an item’s design; they also dress one in the best
desired fashion," she says. Ioanna believes that when imagination has free reign while getting dressed, and when clothing follows
somebody’s mood and evolves as people do, the result is that every item in
one’s collection is a reflection of all the different versions of its owner. But for her it all comes down to one thing: Joy!
All images courtesy of Ioanna Kourbela©
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