Vassilios Kostetsos presents “Aella: Vazes & Amazones”

Greek designer, Vassilios Kostetsos, always goes to great lengths to create a mood for his collections and clue the onlooker in on what his inspiration was for the clothes. This season was no different. His Spring/Summer 2011 collection was titled “Aella: Vazes & Amazones.” He drew inspiration from Greek ceramic antique vases and the Amazons were ‘a nation of women dwelling near the river Thermodon.’ The first Amazon was called an Aella. He drew on the strength of the women in this tribe and interpreted it into modern life and the struggles we overcome on a daily basis. He used images that decorate the Greek pottery as prints on the clothing. The clothing was definitely more meaningful and the details were better understood with Vassilios Kostetsos’ synopsis of it. Vassilios Kostetsos did both womenswear and menswear.

The color story was mainly beige, black, white and gold, with blues and reds making appearances. The models wore their hair in high ponytails with black headbands where the hairline meets the forehead. The shoes were heavily fringed and chunky. Obvious prints were seen on dresses and blouses, as well as bathing trunks. The images were powerful and rich, in gold on black and white on black. Leather accents were liberally used. There were leather belts, leather shoulders and leather closures. As the collection developed, gold was used more liberally. One gold dress stood out for its extended shoulders and cinched waist. Petal-like adornment on the fabric was seen in a bikini, minis and a grand full-length gown. Around the middle of the collection, bright blue was used in the form of flowing printed dresses. A beige skirt suit was accented with a blue headkerchief. My absolute favorite fabric of the collection was a white shimmery one that was used to make a knee-length strapless dress with a flared skirt and a long one-shouldered gown. The fabric looked like sun hitting the ocean. It was exquisite. The collection ended with a metallic beaded dress over a bodysuit.

I loved how developed and cultural this collection was. The clothes were literal and it was easy to see the connection between the inspiration and the garments. To see more of Vassilios Kostetsos, go to www.kostetsos.gr.