Pioneering Greek designer Yannis Tseklenis dies, aged 82
Fashion designer Yannis Tseklenis, who is widely credited with putting Greece on the map of international fashion, has died at the age of 82.
His death Wednesday was announced Thursday by the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation, which the designer had donated all of his collections to.
Starting out as a fabric designer, Tseklenis’ first fashion hit was a series of print dresses. His reign in the 1960s and 1970s included licensing of womenswear, menswear, hosiery and other accessories, conducting business on a global scale – from the United States to Iran.
In the 1990s, the designer moved away from apparel, immersing himself in various projects, including hotel and home design.
Tseklenis is survived by his second wife, Efi Melas, and his son Constantinos Tseklenis, a conceptual artist and cinematographer.
At the time of his death, he was working on a career-spanning retrospective. The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation said the project will go ahead in tribute to Tseklenis' life and work.
