INTERVIEW: LYDIA KAMITSIS talks to FILEP MOTWARY

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Dear iDEALS, born in Lebanon, Lydia Kamitsis originally came to Paris to study art history and archaeology at the Sorbonne University. In 1986 she joined the “Union Française des Arts du Costume” (UFAC) one of the most comprehensive reference collection worldwide, for which she organizes and curates many French and international exhibitions. From October 1995 to March 2003, she works as scientific advisor for Musée de la Mode et du Textile (the Fashion and Textile Museum) in Paris and heads the exhibition program as well as its research unit. In addition, Kamitsis is assigned the museum’s restructuring and installation project and the setting-up of the documentation center in the Rohan wing of the Louvre Museum. The wing was opened to the public in January 1997. Then she took in charge and developed the contemporary fashion department.
During these years, she keeps close ties with the national garment industry and initiates constant dialogue with the “up and coming” designers, participating to several international school and professional juries. With this combination as a starting-point, she has functioned as scientific adviser/consultant and exhibition curator for a number of events e.g. “Christian Dior: the magic of fashion” in the Powerhouse Museum of Sydney (Australia), in 1994; “Madeleine Vionnet, the innovation years” in the Textile Museum of Lyon (France) 1994-1995; “Paco Rabanne” in the Fashion Museum of Marseille (France) 1995; “Vionnet, Empress of fashion” Provincial Museum, Den Haag (Netherlands) 1999; “L’étoffe des rêves - Photographies de Gérard Uféras” in the Musée de la Mode et du textile, Paris 2001; « Genio y Figura : the influence of Spanish culture on fashion », Saitama Modern art museum (Japan) 2005; “Dressing the time”, opening exhibition of Museo de la moda , Santiago (Chile) 2007; “Crossing, fashion is everywhere” Barcelona (Spain) 2007. She regularly publishes articles in institutional and fashion business publications and gives lectures and master classes all around the world. Among numerous publications, Kamitsis penned the first monographic study on fashion designer Paco Rabanne and is a recognized specialist of Madeleine Vionnet’s work. She had directed the edition of « Dictionnaire International de la Mode » (published in Paris, Editions du Regard), 2005.
Since 1992, Kamitsis is associate teacher at Paris’ Sorbonne University (Institute of Art and Archaeology).

Filep Motwary: Lydia, thank you for accepting the interview. I would like to ask you what does a designer need to have to catch your eye.
Lydia Kamitsis: Challenging approach of fashion, strong integrity, sense of humor, and an interesting (not only fashion) conversation.
Filep Motwary: You are a great supporter of the Hellenic Fashion Designers coming all the way from Paris each season to see what we do. After six seasons, where do you see the Greek Fashion Going? Why do you visit Greece during those days?
Lydia Kamitsis: I started to be interested to Hellenic fashion designers for not so good reasons. It was more sentimental than professional… As a Greek born who was disconnected from Greek realities since a long time it was a way to get closer to part of my roots. I came each season because I felt a sort of responsibility in following this new story: as a fashion historian it is very exciting to witness a movement from its very first steps, to see how it will grow up… Naturally I found myself as a kind of “good will” ambassador helping the international guests to have a better perception of Hellenic culture, and giving the designers an honest feedback. Six seasons later, I can say I met here among the Greek designers authentic talents, who walk step by step in an original path. Talking with them I learned a lot on the specifications of this country, and confirmed something I already knew unfortunately: in French there is an expression saying “nul n’est prophète dans son pays”. It seems that Greek public, buyers, press had no idea of what was really interesting to catch until foreigners came to reevaluate it!!


(Lydia Kamitsis, author of two books, VIONNET-Assouline- and PACO RABANNE-Thames&Hudson)

Filep Motwary:What are the highs and lows of the Hellenic Fashion Week. Do you see a future?
Lydia Kamitsis:The Hellenic fashion week proved within 6 seasons its ability to move fast. There is a big progress concerning the collections themselves: no more hundreds of cocktail, evening & wedding dresses, even if some designers still make confusion between what is the purpose of a catwalk and what is the supposed taste of their clientele! The shows are better organized, more professional, better light, models, styling… still a lot has to be done… But I feel it is a critical moment, because what could serve as a good image for Hellenic contemporary fashion design is mixed up with commercial and very “has been” collections. It is not a matter of gathering the shows in the same event (in Paris we do it also), but the way it is done. The upcoming designers have very few space for expressing and developing their vision, if they do not move in a way or another they will probably loose their soul and originality! I think also that the Designers association would take advantage by opening its management to people who are not designers, but professionals of strategy, business, communication etc… I was for instance very surprised by the few echoes given to the event by national media. And what I saw in some TV programs or magazines was so trash that I wondered if the national press attended the same event! There is a huge work of pedagogy to be done in this direction, if Greek fashion wants to be seriously considered.
Filep Motwary:You are a recognized specialist on Madeleine Vionnet. Why Vionnet. Is it a matter of obsession?
Lydia Kamitsis:Vionnet is a very special encounter for me. I had the huge privilege to grow up professionally among the archives she donated to the Union Française des Arts du Costume (the nucleus of the today “Musee de la Mode” of Paris) were I started to work as curator 20 years ago. I studied and manipulated endlessly her dresses and each time I did so, I discovered new things on her creative process, which still stands as a mystery. I love her unique way to think a cloth as a smooth and coherent architecture and the different manners she explored to get out of technical boundaries. She embodies a kind of ascetic practice of the design, with no concessions to the trends; her obsession was the perfection of the fit to the body and the freedom of its movements. She had a huge technical culture and curiosity together with unequaled artistic instinct, which led her to understand the essence of dress in different civilizations, among others Greek antiquity and the various ways to play with drapé and geometry. She undoubtedly opened large paths to all the contemporary designers who experiment “dress” as a fine art…

Filep Motwary: What is the real aim behind each exhibition?
Lydia Kamitsis:Each exhibition is a new challenge. I approach it having permanently in mind the person who will see it, not to give him/her what he/she would like to see but what she doesn't expect to discover. For me a good exhibition is one who questions, not which gives the curator’s point of view. My ambition is to transmit and share the excitement of a creation, to explore the ingenuity of human craftsmanship, to provoke emotions and stimulate frozen brains… It took me 3 years to enter Paco Rabanne’s or Vionnet’s logic and find out the way to show it. Both exhibitions stand as great experiences and I was rewarded by public’s comments saying “ we didn’t imagine that fashion could be a so interesting issue”. I still consider that those two creators are the alpha and omega of fashion design. The extreme limits… I am also very proud of less spectacular exhibitions, as the one I have curated on “hangers” , showing more than 200 pieces of a private collection covering 2 centuries and all kind of shapes and uses! It was the opportunity to make young students to think and design new objects and to have the winner’s project produced by one of the biggest suppliers in France. And I have also a special feeling for one of the latest ones, called “Crossing, fashion is everywhere” showing backstage photos of different photographers, exhibited in the streets of the Raval area of Barcelona, a place where some of the inhabitants didn’t even had an idea of what is fashion and what is an exhibition.
Filep Motwary: Where do you think the international Fashion Scene is heading to? We have designers collaborating with secondary labels (H&M), London has decided to emerge and at the same time there is a great number of designers appearing from all over the world. Do you think there is still some vacancy in Fashion? Is there really for more people?
Lydia Kamitsis:Too much fashion kills fashion. Sometimes I wonder if the so-called fashion is still relevant!!!

Filep Motwary:How responsible do you feel when you advice/teach young people?
Lydia Kamitsis: It is not a responsibility; I consider it rather as an obvious duty. I had the chance to receive and learn a lot from others, so it is natural to give and share on my turn. I also feel that it is important to teach young people by your own example of life and choices, showing them that there are different ways to achieve each ones life, out of mainstreams and established rules. It just needs guts to defend them.

Filep Motwary:A while ago we had two fashion exhibitions in Athens curated by Vassilis Zidianakis. How important do you feel this was for the pragmatic picture of the Athenian Fashion?
Lydia Kamitsis:Vassilis is doing with his Atopos association a great work, giving a challenging vision of fashion topics, mixing art & fashion, international and national creators. It is a pity that no public institution gives more support to this kind of events. I can’t understand for instance that no one helps to reprint the amazing catalog of “Ptyhoseis’ exhibition, (sold out since 3 years) which certainly stands as a key publication.
Filep Motwary:Being a designer myself, I can see that there is a lack of training concerning the Fashion Industry, in the city I live in. What would you say it is necessary to be done?
Lydia Kamitsis:There can’t be a future if there is no education. As long as a good & serious school will not exist in Greece, the only way for future professionals (designers, stylists, managers) is to go abroad to get trained. And as long an appropriate school will not exist in Greece there are few chances that “Greek fashion” will grow up and be competitive on the international scene.
Filep Motwary:What would you advice the young people who read this interview and dream of their future in fashion?
Lydia Kamitsis:You are thousands all over the world having the same dream & the place is quite small! Be sure you are choosing this direction for the good reasons, and prepare yourself to suffer and struggle!!!

Filep Motwary:Could you share with us your future plans?
Lydia Kamitsis: Beside lectures, seminars & workshops, I am working as guest curator on the first temporary exhibition of the future “ Cité-musée de la dentelle de Calais”, a big project devoted to the history of lace which will be opened to the public late 2008. I have been invited to show how lace inspires contemporary designers in different artistic fields (from furniture to sculpture, music, jewellery…), it is a lot of fun having a “carte blanche” and the freedom to associate within the same frame signatures such as Philippe Starck or John Galliano to unknown young students’ ephemeral projects. I am also associated to an important four-year research project launched by the Ecole Française d’Athènes in partnership with Benaki museum on the study of cultural exchanges between Greece & France during the 1919-1939 period. I am of course in charge of the “fashion & beauty” part… Another Greek-French “historical” project I would like to develop is a book & retrospective exhibition on Jean Dessès, the only greek couturier member of Paris Haute Couture during 40’&50’. But it will take probably years before making it possible!!!!

NOTE: portrait of Madame Lydia Kamitsis by PATRICIA CANINO
All rights reserved

Comments

[xl]

Hello,
I allow myself to write you to request information
On the occasion of my studies, I seek to contact Lydia Kamitsis. I write a master thesis on the topic of fashion, museums and exhibitions.
I would like to organize a discussion with Madam Kamitsis but I do not succeed to contact with her.
I write you to wonder if you can help me in my search (because I saw on your blog you had made an interview in November 2008 with her), to transmit me her coordinates (e-mail or telephon number) or to transmit my wish to her and thus to facilitate my contact with her.
Thank you very much.
Yours sincerely.
XL

[mika panagiotopoulou]

Dear XL,

Apart from L. Kamitsis you can also research Amy de la Haye, Reader in Material Culture and Fashion Curation. She is lecturing in London College of Fashion (where I am doing a master degree as well).

More information on:
http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/15396.htm

and her email is: ade-la-haye@fashion.arts.ac.uk

i hope this will be of some help.

Good luck with your dissertation

mika panagiotopoulou