An Intimate Conversation With Fashion Designer Stefania Vaidani
Stefania Vaidani is a Greek fashion designer known for her timeless, romantic Vichy and energetic monogrammatic designs, inspired by the Greek Island life of the past and the Italian attention to detail.
For this conversation, we have invited Agni Tranou, friend and collaborator of Stefania and currently a student at IFM Paris, to talk personal inspiration, launching a fashion brand in Greece and the future of the fashion industry.
A: Hello my favourite boss! I hope you are as excited as I am for this conversation and I hope everyone will get an insight of what it means to be a young woman entrepreneur this day and age.
We both have been born and raised in Greece but I feel like both of us had very interesting upbringing since our parents invested in many experiences to make us culturally curious. Talk to me about growing up in Greece and your initial dreams of fashion. What was it that made you decide to study fashion design, a degree not very common here?
S: I grew up in an environment full of aesthetic references and my family owns a fashion business which allowed me to learn and develop the craft of design firsthand. I remember that my father always used to tell me: “Always start from your origins”. And thats what i did! I remember myself working every summer in our family business . What fascinated me the most was how your initial idea is transformed to a garment. From fabrics to materials and from designing to pattern cutting. Later on, I enhanced my creative spirit by studying fashion styling at Marangoni Fashion School in Milan. The immediacy and authenticity of the clothing execution is an integral part of my artistic framework.
Stefania Vaidani shot by Agni Tranou
A: That is really interesting, especially your dad’s quote! Moving to a foreign country at such young age and especially studying such a competitive degree must have been challenging. What would you say where the highlights of your years in Milan and your time at Marangoni?
S: Work , work , work !!
Haha, I had great time at Marangoni. You could feel the inspiration everywhere in Milan. What fascinated me the most was the fact that our professors treated us like adults. It was work not studies. The final year in Marangoni I had the opportunity to work for ID magazine during Milan Fashion Week . This gave an inside view of how the industry actually works. Lastly, Marangoni gave me knowledge, a group of great friends and unforgettable memories.
A: I remember the day you got selected for ID, we were all so excited! It was interesting to see how your creative vision changed almost every year if not more often during your studies. Your teachers really did a great job to provide you with an amazing skillset. Tell me, how did Stefania Vaidani begin? What was it that made you create your own brand at such young age?
S: The idea behind the brand came based on the need for well designed fashion on the contemporary price range but with the high fashion “wow” effect. Women who want to wear affordable but yet unique and stylish outfits for every occasion. I wanted to cover the gap between high fashion and fast fashion. My ideal women? All the women in the world. I cannot help but think of Miranda Kerr’s quote every time I design: “All flowers are beautiful in their own way and that’s like women too”.
A: That honestly couldn’t explain your brand any better. You really do design for the everyday woman who wants to look stylish every day but without having to spend an absurd amount of money. A strong woman that dresses for herself. Considering the industry in Greece is not that strong what made you decide to launch Stefania Vaidani here?
S: As I previously mentioned we have a family fashion business here in Greece. Our production is in-house, our pattern cutters, our creative team. I thought that I should be close to my production, who I trust and learn from daily; in the beginning at least. I personally believe that production is the most difficult part of our job, and I shouldn’t be far away from it.
A: Your designs are undoubtedly head turners, which I know first hand considering every time we walk together dressed in SV pieces head to toe people ask us where our clothes are from! Where and in what do you find inspiration for your designs?
My main inspiration comes from the 50s, 60s and 70s of Island life in Greece. Old is New is my mantra; looking at vintage pieces and updating them giving them a contemporary edge. Never forgetting the experimental element in line with comfort and attention to detail.
A: I know we have discussed this in depth but there are so many hot topics in fashion right now from sustainability to cultural appropriation, what are your thoughts on that?
S: Sustainability is a way of living!! Due to climate change and environmental crisis there is no time to fix the mistakes we did in the past, sadly the fashion industry has left negative footprints in our ecosystem. Only with pressure we can change our world, and I am so happy that the fashion industry is finally embracing new techniques.
A: Is there something you would like to change about fashion ? Where would you like to see the industry evolve?
S: Adapt to changing consumer lifestyles, focus on better not more, and embrace new technologies and platforms to meet growing consumer demand for an environmentally sustainable future. To finally be able to buy less, choose less and make it last.
A: Let’s hope the industry develops towards a more sustainable and responsible future since its such a beautiful industry that brings joy to most and its sad to see what a negative footprint it leaves. Let's talk about something more exciting though. Your new Spring Summer collection, which I am sooo excited to wear. Talk to me about it!
S: We are facing the most serious socio- economic and health crisis of recent times. As in every crisis, confusion and uncertainty brings darkness. On the other side, there is always this path that leads to light. It is not an easy one, but it is a possible one if you have patience, courage and appreciation of love. They say that it takes a lifetime to discover true Greece, but you fall in love with her immediately. As a true Greek, I would like to take you to the most incredible trip with me.
For me Pre Spring 2021 collection was a tribute to my classic Vichy pieces. A mix of Vichy primary colours along with solid silk and cotton pieces which represent the brand’s personality and comfort. The starting point to this eternal trip to the discovery of true Greece, I created the Spring Summer 2021collection. The key elements “utensils” of this initiation are the sun (yellow), the sky (maya blue) and the flowers (coral, green). Greece back in the 60s and 70s was all about nature, countryside and purity. In this collection you will find prints with Greek flowers; pigeons; coral hues; orange; earthy green, all in ethereal silk; poplin and muslin. I am taking you also on an island cruise with the new SV 2021 print dedicated to the traditional Greek island life. Olive pots; grapes; nautical symbols; musical instruments; donkeys; blue skies and Greek architecture are all the key elements for this trip: “I feel as a tree with strong roots that laughs in the storms”
A: This is making me so excited and giving me such happy summer vibes. Can’t wait to pack the whole collection during summer and take it with me to the islands. Looking ahead, where do you see your brand in the future ?
S: Let your dreams be your wings: I want to see different women, wear my creations and feel beautiful, unique, powerful.
Stefania Vaidani & Agni Tranou in Stefania Vaidani S/S20 Old is New