Greek designer in New Delhi for a global event

As Vassilios Kostetsos prepares to fly to New Delhi in May, he is taking with him more than a few travel guides. The Greek fashion designer will be a guest at the New Delhi International Fashion Week, which will hit the catwalk from May 10 to 15, and he will, therefore, be packing a collection of Greek-inspired garments to be presented to an international audience of diplomats, retailers and a variety of celebrities. «The organizers contacted me last October, when they decided to organize this global event, which is the first of its kind in India. They decided to select 18 designers from around the world, designers who were known abroad,» said Kostetsos in a phone interview with Kathimerini English Edition. For the designer, whose work has been featured in fashion editorials such as the German editions of Marie Claire, Vogue and Elle, the New Delhi project promises to be an exciting experience, combining business and pleasure. The brainchild of Sanjay Kapur, CEO of Riya Communications, the New Delhi International Fashion Week presents a two-fold ambitious plan: on the one hand, to throw the spotlight on the Indian fashion industry, and, at the same time, welcome an international audience to view developments in global trends through the participation of foreign designers and labels. The upcoming event has also triggered a wave of publicity for Kostetsos; his work was already featured in the Hindustan Times last December, while a number of fabric manufacturers contacted the designer in the hopes of forging business deals. Furthermore, the New Delhi fashion shows will also bring together a number of designers who usually present their collections in different cities; and who, above all, don’t share the same fashion outlook. The London-based Arkadius, for instance, a graduate of Central St Martins, is one of those designers who stirs emotions on the creative British fashion scene – during the recent London Fashion Week, his garments were made with black-and-white balloons – while another participant, the established house of Torrente, a haute-couture maker based in Paris, is known for serene clothes made with beautiful fabrics and elaborate embroideries. In the middle of all this, an Indian designer has booked tennis sensation Anna Kournikova to make a guest-star catwalk appearance, while lingerie house La Perla will no doubt cause another stir. In New Delhi, Kostetsos – who likes his woman sexy and powerful and is known for wacky catwalk presentations, which are then toned down for business in the shops – will be presenting «The Waves of Cycles» collection, which was initially inspired by antiquity, ancient theater, shields and columns. «The collection I began working on last October is a very expensive production, a high-cost affair made primarily of evening gowns,» said Kostetsos, who based his work on circular motifs and a color palette of light blue, red, fuschia, black and white, while building on rich fabrics such as shantung and muslins. Just like the Indian organizers, who expect the upcoming event to develop into an exchange of ideas, fashion and culture as well as business, Kostetsos plans to make the most of it. «Given the country’s large population, this is the first time India is opening its fashion borders,» said the designer. «I believe that this could also prove to be a very good start for my business there, as this really is a virgin market.» For those of us staying behind, the designer is planning an Athenian response, with the «Waves of Cycles» collection scheduled to be presented to the local public at the beginning of June, with a possible guest appearance by George Clooney. For those of us staying behind, the designer is planning an Athenian response, with the «Waves of Cycles» collection scheduled to be presented to the local public at the beginning of June, with a possible guest appearance by George Clooney.