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To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Greek brand Zeus+Dione threw a festive bash in Athens on Friday, and creative director Marios Schwab went all out to honor the skills of the country’s artisans and the variety of its crafts.
“The narrative of the collection actually starts with the sound of craftsmen,” said the Greek-Austrian designer at a preview in the brand’s headquarters. He was appointed to the creative helm in 2020, after the pandemic brought him back to Greece. “Zeus+Dione was founded on the ethos of creating something out of synergies, collaborations, social engagement, environmental sensitivities, sustainability,” he explained. It’s a set of values he shares and wants to celebrate. To that end, he grounded the collection in a modern rendition of traditional artisanal codes. Its concise yet poetic “Doric minimalism” syncs up with today’s fashion trends.
“Zeus+Dione was born out an act of romantic dedication to preserve our Greek heritage,” said Dimitra Kolotoura, who launched the brand together with Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki (she recently stepped back from her role at the label after becoming Greece’s First Lady). Schwab definitely picked up on this sentiment for the collection, which was staged at sunset at Piraeus port in front of the historic WWII Hellas Liberty freighter, now housing a floating marine museum.
The invitation to the show, which he named Small Trades, came as a thin copper plate on which an image of traditional craft tools was screen printed. It was a clear indication of Schwab’s intentions. As craftsmanship across Greece changes by location, he looked at different métiers and mapped them together, weaving a sort of visual cartography of re-interpreted time-honored codes.
Copper also served as a leitmotif, as it was an essential metal for the ancient Greeks. Copper panels were laid out on the dock as a sort of catwalk carpet, while a lustrous copper breastplate was appliquéd on a flowing black tunic and a copper-hued metallic shine graced a finely-pleated slip dress in soft leather.
The backbone of the collection was Schwab’s signature sharp tailoring. It underpinned the men’s line, which was shown here for the first time(“When I started at Zeus+Dione, I asked, ‘where is the Zeus in all this?’” he said. One standout was a white double-breasted tailored blazer worn over billowy multi-pleated vraka trousers. Another was the black and white pinstriped suit, whose slightly retro material was sourced from the archives of traditional Greek tailors. Worn with an immaculate white shirt, it hinted at the elegance of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, when cultural life in the country was at a high point.
References to Greek history and traditions were woven throughout the collection. The sponge divers from Kalymnos and their skafandras (diving suits) were the blueprint of a series of graphic neoprene jackets with contrasting piping. Fabulous black cord embroideries from Aristides Tzonevrakis’s atelier in Argos, inspired by naturalistic curlicue motifs, graced white sailcloth cropped vests and the tight bodices of asymmetrical dresses, and the famed jeweler Minas provided handsome silver pendants. A new thicker version of the signature embossed Spathoto silk was also offered in slender wrap dresses, made in Soufli’s silk factory with the support of Kostas Moutharidis.
“What I like about Greece and what my parents taught me is a certain simplicity of our lifestyle,” Schwab concluded. “I don’t understand why we try to make things so complicated. Beauty is in simplicity—it’s a source of inspiration for our souls.” It’s a concept that deeply resonates today, making Schwab’s practice at Zeus+Dione worthy of attention.