Angelos Bratis : Doric rhythm
The principal form of the three classical architectural orders of ancient Greece is characterized by its symmetrical purity of line and absence of superfluous ornamentation. The elementary solid structure of Doric rhythm inspires the launch of a permanent but evolving new label of ready to wear from Angelos Bratis.
Architectural structures in white denim provide monumental solid forms. Rectangular panels cut with mathematical precision transform into light flowing shirts and dresses of cotton poplin and oxford jacquard in white and light blue. Labyrinth geometric prints on silk crepe de chine create an illusion of fluid movement. Kimonos, dresses and kaftans in Aegean blue and white move over the body with the lightness of air given form and solidity by the wearer. Sensual but robust, purist and versatile shapes and separates provide stylish options for a democratic modern lifestyle in movement.
| interview by Anna Baniora |
Angelos Bratis Doric
Dresses with the characteristic technique of drapery, initially used in the ancient Greek clothing, monopolize your collections. Why do you focus on that item of clothing and on this specific form?
Although the Greek spirit is always evident in my collections in many different aspects or moods, the draping technique I am using has endless possibilities and transformations of the fabric around the body. But if it’s not modern, it’s not fashion. Everything starts with geometry and mathematics, given fluidity only through the experience and feeling of the wearer.
A ‘technician’, a ‘manipulator of dresses’, an ‘architect of clothing’ are statements by the international press for your work. How would you define your work-brand-aesthetic in three words?
Fluid, dynamic, effortless.
Angelos Bratis Doric
Myths from ancient Greece, painters and architectural elements inspire your creations. What intrigues you to embody the transformation of these elements into your collections?
Sculpture is really the thing. It’s my belief that a woman dressed in beautiful clothes is the living, moving embodiment of the principles of this art form. I once heard a story that a former museum curator was using the fragment of male genitals from a destroyed ancient sculpture as a paperweight. It made me think how restricted the modern focus of sexuality is.
If you relate this to female sexuality the primarily focus now is often only the breasts. Ancient Greek sculpture teaches us that it’s really the whole body that is erotic and it’s the relationship it has with clothing that makes it so beguiling. In an age when many people are obsessed with a 2 dimensional view of the sexuality of the body on the Internet, these principles that I continue to uphold in my work are as important a lesson for us now as they ever have been.
Angelos Bratis Doric
The Angelos Bratis SS17 ‘Doric’ collection is a tribute to simplicity, purity and geometrical lines of classical architecture. Analyze to us the design concept.
Beauty cannot be analyzed but only experienced. Design for me is a creative impulse more than it is a decisive act. The labyrinth print is a testament to the journey of that experience. Doric is a rediscovery of a zen like purity in an age of increasing vulgarity.
White and ‘Aegean Blue’ are the colors used in your collections and define the palette of SS17 ‘Doric’ collection.
Doric was about discovering various forms through the power of a limited palette and the restriction of a single print in white and blue, a real island mentality.
Angelos Bratis Doric
What is the theme of the AW2017 collection? Any particular future projects?
Summer is my thing and the moment when I really sing. But having recently relocated to England and the north I’m discovering a love for the coyness of fabrics like wool and the traditions of tailoring. My next project is a collaboration with Yannis Tseklenis and his printed silk foulards hosted by i-D store in Kolonaki starting 1st of April.
Angelos Bratis is a Greek designer born in Athens 36 years ago and currently living in Milan where he designs his eponymous collection and works as a consultant for noted fashion houses. After graduating with an MA in fashion design from Amsterdam’s prestigious Fashion Institute Arnhem, Bratis started an intense journey into the fashion world in Italy honing his craft collaborating behind the scenes with renowned designer names and garnering great attention from the press with his stand-out styles. In January 2013, the British magazine Wallpaper* suggested Bratis as one of the most prominent upcoming designers to watch.
Credits: photography – S.Dragone- G.Palma / L.Sorrentino
