Issue 5 2021

Best Online Greek Designer Concept Store 2020 The Greek Designers® is the first international e-commerce platform for the exhibition and sale of Greek cultural and traditionally inspired fashion. As a totally online shopping service, it serves a worldwide market, presently with most of its influence in Europe and America, but with the significant beginnings of expansion into Asia. This company’s global success has secured its voice in the international fashion and e-commerce industries as it fills a gap in the market that few of its competitors can claim. It, unlike a typical e-commerce and fashion sales website, focuses not just on the promotion of its products, but of the story and culture behind them. Its priority throughout every aspect of its business is the showing and exploration of Greek history through its designer’s creations, bringing the teaching of the Greek national identity to a much wider global stage. Overall, it uses aesthetics as its main criteria for the selection of the designs and designers it collaborates with, but cultural learning is the cornerstone of its operation. On its website, information about the piece can be found in each product description, and further information can also be found in the designer’s portfolio and featured creative content. In this unique approach to promoting the learning of Greek history and the integrated experience of letting the customer explore it through fashion, it is a front-runner in innovatively bringing national traditional awareness to a wider market. It also prides itself on the high quality and affordable nature of its products – The Greek Designers® works with individual designers to create beautiful and ethical products. The quality of its products allows this company to stand on its own two feet in a very competitive industry, using its fresh voice in promoting the story behind the product to embolden itself. The sale of products across borders through online shopping is also a factor in this company’s success, as that is a part of the industry that is only growing. After the outbreak of Covid-19, many high streets were forced to close. This drove the retail market online, seeing more sales than ever for e-commerce and more engagement from users as they search for emerging brands and trends in a wider marketplace then their local in-person stores could offer. The Greek Designers® has also been paying attention to another change in buying habits. Above all, more shoppers are trending away from fast fashion and towards quality, sustainable and ethical products with a traceable story. Furthermore, tourism in Greece has seen an increase over the past few years. This has played a large role in strengthening Greek brands as more consumers such as tourists and EXPATs add to an increasing demand to take part in Greek culture. The nation has always been an ongoing inspiration for designers internationally, but The Greek Designers® gives its creators a space to control the narrative, letting them become the driving forces behind how Greece’s history is portrayed globally. The Greek Designers® is currently working an ongoing collaboration with the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, dubbed ‘one of the most important museums in the world’. For this establishment, it has taken on the task of designing culturally poignant yet modern products for its shop. In the future, it will also be engaged in a collaboration with the Hellenic Heritage Organisation. In this project, it will be designing Greek jewels inspired by Macedonian symbols of Vergina Sun and Ivy Wreath to portray ancient Greek and Macedonian legacy. These will be produced for all museums located in Greek archaeological sites of importance, further championing understanding and learning through the display of art. It was also chosen by LOVEGREECE.COM on the direction of the Mamidakis Foundation, a platform that promotes Greek businesses worldwide, and presented at the Balkan Architecture Biennale Belgrade in 2017. Here it inspired attendees with an international exhibit that focused on the scope of presenting Greek identity. Going forward, it seeks to keep wowing the crowds and further complete its mission across an ever-widening target market. The Greek Designers® lately awarded by A’ Design Award, world’s largest and most influential design accolade- as a recipient of the Best Design Media Award. Best Design Media is granted once to acknowledge the role and support for creation of a better World where heightened appreciation and understanding of good design leads to creation of better products, goods and services that benefit society. More info about A’ Design award on the links below: www.thegreekdesigners.com/2020/11/20/the-greek-designers-best- design-media-award/ www.competition.adesignaward.com/resource.php?ID=1708 Company: The Greek Designers® Contact: [email protected] Website: www.thegreekdesigners.com Feb21046 Bringing traditional culture to a modern world is an important cornerstone of The Greek Designers® business. We caught up with co-founders Filiana & Dimitra Stefanakaki to find out more about this company’s fresh approach to fashion.