Nefelia Papanagiotou is the name of the artist pulling the strings for the up and coming “Architectural Fashion By Nefelia” brand. Her jewelry is singled out for its architectural form and its futuristic and playful profile.
Architecture, the arts and design have always been sources of inspiration for fashion. The Bauhaus movement, surrealism, pop art and whichever other movement has been prevalent during any given time, have all played their part in formulating trends. When Art Deco, a new direction in interior design, made its presence felt during the start of the 20th century, it quickly moved into the realms of fashion and accessories. Up and coming designer Nefelia Papaioannou, is no exception to this process. Combining unique design with specific materials – fluo colored plexiglass, metals and rope – her creations stand out through their three dimensional form and geometric patterns, giving the chosen garment that will showcase the piece, a definite air of haute couture. Her resume includes degrees in architecture and fashion design, two fields of interest which interest her equally. Nefelia as a persona, was born out of her need to create and produce. Jewelry design as her trade, occurred by chance. During her attempts to find a birthday present for a friend, she ended up making her first item of jewelry, a piece she named Gattaca, which she later kept for herself.
Her use of specific materials arose out of her fear of working with a sowing machine, while over the past year she has been working on producing elaborate bustiers, using plastic flooring materials. Her architectural background has played a major role in her evolution as a designer. The lines one finds in her pieces, her very way of working, are both defined by her architectural profile. This past September, she concluded the construction of a block of flats in the Gazi area, a building which was subsequently awarded at the Architectural Biennale. She believes that the real challenge is to start from point zero, while light, space, shading and movement are all vital prerequisites in her approach to design.
Danae Terzakou
