INTERVIEW: MARY KATRANZOU talks to FILEP MOTWARY

 

Dear iDEALS, Mary Katrantzou is the second Greek born designer who actually made it abroad. Print designer Katrantzou fast made a name for herself with her bold and graphic prints and her ability or recreating a perfected silhouette on a silhouette as illusion, She studied at Rhode Island School of Design before transferring to Central Saint Martins to complete a BA in Textile Design where she graduated with a distinction in MA Fashion. 

Her trompe l’oeil digital prints of oversized jewellery on bonded jersey dresses automatically gave a new direction to fashion. In a way, Katrantzou opened a door that was closed for many years, a door created by pioneers like Emilio Pucci.. 

Blurring the line between real and printed jewellery , her work is inspired by Constructivism and early 70’s references, her prints have created the illusion of wearing giant neckpieces that would be too heavy to wear. Her collection is completed by adding amazing bold jewellery, made out of wood and metal, designed as exact replicas of her prints. 

This detail makes her work even more impressive. The first time I noticed her was at her graduation show, so I wrote a little piece on my blog. Now I felt like it was time to approach her again. After all, she is a real star. 

Interviewed by Filep Motwary on 13th July 2009 for THE POP 

 

FilepMotwary: Mary where are you now, personal-wise and work-wise? 

MaryKatranzou: I’m “between planets”. 

FilepMotwary: Although you are very young, your work managed to be world-recognised and respected. How does it feel for you that more and more people know your work day by day? 

MaryKatranzou: It’s very exciting and it becomes part of your formation. People’s view on my work sometimes can inspire it and as it has happened really early on, it can also direct it. It’s interesting to watch it evolve. 

 

FilepMotwary: The clothes you design are very simple, yet your prints and jewellery turn them into something spectacular. In a way you transform the body by using a sort of “illusion” which your prints offer. Can you please be precise about the way you see your work? 

MaryKatranzou: I try to fuse art into fashion. I take inspiration from an object in art or design that would be impossible to wear and translate it into a print. At first it was oversized jewellery, now the perfume bottles. The perfume bottles accentuated the female figure and gave the illusion of an hourglass silhouette. Givenchy and Gaultier have designed perfume bottles referencing the female figure. I wanted to turn that idea on its head, put the perfume on the woman. My work creates that interplay, its very thematic. I think a strong print can be as definitive as a cut or a drape. That’s what I’m trying to convey.   

FilepMotwary: The second factor that makes your heroine impressive is the way you combine the clothes with a number of impressive bold jewellery designs. Rumours say that your mother has a solid part in your collections. Is this true? 

MaryKatranzou: My mother is an interior designer and has her own factory that works with brass. It was used primarily for the furniture she designed. When I decided to create a jewellery line that factory was my only resource. Although my mother has no role in the designing of the jewellery without her factory in Greece, I would have never attempted this collection. My jewellery has an industrial aesthetic because of the nature of the factory. They can’t do fine finishing. They’re used to making lamps! 

 

FilepMotwary: Recently Tilda Swinton was photographed for AnotherMagazine wearing your clothes. Automatically it shows the standards of where your work is at the moment. How did it happen? 

MaryKatranzou: Another was bold enough to run a cover story featuring young designers and it’s fantastic that Tilda Swinton wanted to be part of it. The styling was done by Panos Yiapanis. He elevated the designs with his vision; he morphed them into something new. It is one of my favourite editorials of my work and Tilda Swinton has a great presence in it. I was really fortunate to be chosen.

FilepMotwary: What is your relation to Greece? How do you see the Greek fashion scene? 

MaryKatranzou: I am very close to Greece but I feel slightly removed from the Greek Fashion scene, as I have been in London for over 6 years. It’s during this time that the Greek Fashion scene has flourished. There are some great ideas there, but they are sometimes lost in a big mix of uneven talent. It’s great that we can now talk about a Greek fashion scene. 

FilepMotwary: Are you considering of ever coming back? 

MaryKatranzou: I would love to at some point. At the moment it’s important for me to be based where I present my work. London has a great energy, it keeps you inspired. If I felt I could move my business to Greece, I wouldn’t hesitate. 

FilepMotwary: To what degree do you inadvertently fictionalize your own future? 

MaryKatranzou: I try not to look too far ahead. I have a tendency to fictionalize through my work. I would hate to do it with my future too. 

FilepMotwary: What is fashion for you? 

MaryKatranzou: It’s applied art. Its personal, its intuitive, it can be timeless.

FilepMotwary: How does it feel for a Greek working in the London Fashion scene? 

MaryKatranzou: It depends how you view it. Greeks in fashion are still a minority so it’s great on reflection to feel you’re strengthening the odds! You find pride in that. On the other hand, I feel part of the London scene. It has embraced me and it has a fantastic support system for young designers. It feels like a second home.

 

FilepMotwary: How important is the aftermath of a finished collection, regarding the steps you need to take for the next one? 

MaryKatranzou: It’s paramount. The critics’ reviews, the buyers’ feedback but also the way your perception of it alters, guide the next collection. I usually want to feel there’s a smooth transition between collections but it should be stronger than the one before. You need to feel challenged every time.

FilepMotwary: What are your plans for the future? 

MaryKatranzou: Stay creative and independent. I like it better this way. 

Note: 

Tilda Swinton photographed by Graig McDean courtesy of AnotherMagazine, Styled by Panos Yiapanis, SS2009

 All backstage photos by Panos Davios

Comments

[AL giga]

BRAVO MARY! YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG GREEK DESINGERS! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!