Back in 1949, Sophia Vempo, a famous Greek singer, was singing a song that drew its theme from the long-lived art of weaving, which is intertwined with the Greek culture and tradition. The song’s lyrics -a poem, actually, written by Greek poet and literary writer Argyris Eftaliotis- repeat the onomatopoeic sound the weaver’s shuttle (part of a loom) makes while passing masterfully from one hand to the other. Hand looms have been used in Greece ever since Homer’s era. The art of hand loom weaving is one tradition that stands out for its beauty, rare craftsmanship, and functionality. From ancient times Greek women have been exceptionally skilled at the art of the loom.
“I grew up and studied in Thessaloniki” says Alexandra Theohari, the woman behind Klotho, the Greek brand that brings handloom weaving tradition to the present day. “Klotho began its journey back in 2016. Basically, the things that I have always loved -fashion, quality clothing, handmade embroidery and traditional arts- met and joined hands in Klotho. All collections so far draw inspiration from my beloved island, Crete; its history and culture. The aim is to create quality collections with cultural value and timeless sophistication. The brand is just five years old, but has already gained much love and appreciation, has attained great collaborations with museums and other cultural organizations, and has spread commercially in Greece and abroad. This gives us immense joy and optimism for better things to come,” she says and continues: “Crete has always been part of my life as it is my mother’s birthplace and we used to come here often as children. Later in 1993 I settled permanently because of my job. Crete thus became my second home, by choice, as I chose to live here permanently and have a family. It is an amazing place, easy to fall in love with and hard to leave. It has a huge wealth of history and culture, wonderful scenery, warm people, and an incredibly positive energy. In 2016, I decided to quit my previous job and take up weaving combined with fashion. I always had a creative spark in me, but the stimulus came when I visited a weaving workshop in Rethymno. That day brought a huge change in my life. I became fascinated by woven cloth with intricate embroidery and that’s how the idea of Klotho was born.”
When you start with the loom you fall in love
And how did the love for the loom come about? “I was introduced to the loom at a young age, but I got involved with it and fell in love with it when Klotho started its journey. The loom is a magical tool that never ceases to pleasantly surprise me with its incredible possibilities countless techniques, an endless play of colours, textures, patterns and techniques where changing one parameter changes the whole picture. Working on the loom is not only incredibly relaxing but also highly addictive. Once you start with it you fall in love.”
“A Klotho garment is distinguished by its minimal geometric lines, with references to Minoan garments, while it is decorated with woven details and embroideries inspired by the rich weaving and embroidery tradition of Crete. All woven decorations are made in our workshop in Rethymno by experienced, local weavers. Klotho is inspired by and supports traditional arts and local artisans. It aspires to become a brand that will be identified with the preservation of the art of weaving, an art completely marginalized in recent years” continues Alexandra Theochari to then describe the process of producing a garment: “It is a long journey that moves on many levels. It starts with the inspiration of the collection, the creation of a mood board, lots of reading and research in scrapbooks, archival material, visits to museums and meetings with artisans. For me, this first phase of the creation of the collection is the most interesting. It is followed by the search for raw materials, the design and production of the woven decorative elements and the final marriage of the modern garment with the traditional element.”
The made in Greece label and the signs of joy
“The made in Greece label gives us great pleasure and we are very proud to put it on our products. Greek products are remarkable, of high quality, made by locals, they support the Greek economy and consumers increasingly prefer them over imported products” says Alexandra Theochari, while describing the idea behind the symbolism of this summer collection: “Our summer collection is inspired by Cretan embroideries of the 16th – 19th century, depicting flowers, snakes, birds, peacocks, rams and roses. It is a collection full of symbolism, as according to our folk tradition these motifs are symbols of joy, rebirth, pride and abundance. With great respect we transferred them to the loom and with a fresher look we adapted them to the ’21 collection”.
F: Klotho Crete
I: Klotho_Crete
