There is no doubt that London is one
of the biggest fashion capitals of the world. Fashion has always been a very
important industry here and that’s why many of the most influential designers
have their base in London.
But fashion is not only London…
That’s why we are going to introduce
to you some wonderful creative people who live and create in Greece.
And we are going to start with the
one only Elissavet Maurogenni.
I knew her through her work (her
trademark is bows and she creates the most fun bags I’ve ever seen) but I met
her in person 2 years ago when she was the teacher in a course I was attending about
handbag making. She has that wonderful combination that only genuine creative
people have: She is sweet but at the same time she has the guts to go after her
dream without fear…
And this is the little chat that we
had:
Did you always wanted to design bags
or did you experiment with other things first?
From
a very young age I remember myself being very creative, and I was always into
arts and crafts.
I
loved making adjustments to my clothes to match my very own style, the same
with my jewellery and bags; Then my friends would I ask me to do the same for
them which I thoroughly enjoyed!
Thankfully
my hobby soon became my profession.
At the beginning of your career, you
were working as an Interior Designer. What made you decide to change your
career path?
I
studied architecture and interior design and then I worked as an interior
decorator for a year.
I
really enjoyed doing this however I felt like I was going into a different
direction from my true passion.
As
I was only twenty two, I decided to chase my dream without a second thought.
At
the beginning I mainly focused on jewellery, but over the past four years bags
have become my obsession. After all, bags are every woman's passion.
Today,
ten years later I am fortunate enough to go to work every day with a smile on
my face. Doing what you love is an amazing and fulfilling journey.
Creation
sets my mind free. This was the reason I decided to create my own company, my
paradise.
It seems like bows are your
obsession… How do you incorporate them in your designs?
My
mum is responsible for my love for bows. Ever since I was a little girl she
would never let me leave the house without a bow on my head, on my clothes… pretty
much everywhere.
Wearing
bows makes me feel like a little girl again only this time with a little sex
appeal.
Bows
have become my company's trademark and I love it! Girls that come to my
showroom keep telling me that they see my bows all around Athens. As you can
imagine this fills me with joy!
What is your inspiration for your last
collection “Life is a game”?
2014
was a very difficult year for me. Two very important events took place that
really hurt me but gave me strength. And I came to realize that life is just a
game. You never know what is going to follow.
My
collection "life is a game" is fully inspired by my everyday life;
from the ups and downs; from each person's struggles; from the laughter and
sorrow.
This
year has made me appreciate every moment, every smile, every "I love
you", the fact that I am healthy and on my feet.
I
share all those feelings and experiences with you through the bright colors of
my collection.
And
I dedicate it to my husband, to my brother, to my father.
To
the men of my life.
How difficult is to own your own business,
especially in retail, in Greece nowadays?
Honestly,
it has been really hard and it still is. All odds are against you. Only by
loving something very much you manage to survive. It takes a lot of effort, a
lot of hard work, courage and positive thinking.
Yes,
it is difficult but it is definitely possible!
How did social media helped you to
promote your business?
Social media have certainly
helped me a lot.
Many people get to know who
otherwise would need a lot of money to get them to know your work.
What is the most popular item in
your shop?
Our
best seller is the classic "captain planet" bag with the bow. It is a
backpack and a messenger's bag as well and you can choose any color you wish!
Girls
around the world fell in love with it right away. They love it as much as I
do!
Recently, you started creating other
accessories, like beach towels. Are you planning to experiment on other things
as well?
Our
beach towel collection is in cooperation with Terry Tex Textile & Towel
Industry.
A
new collection is going to come out this summer.
We've
already launched a new children's bags and accessories line for our little
princesses.
More
surprises to come this summer. The best is yet to come. Stay tuned!
Can someone outside Greece, order
your bags?
Of course, anyone can order
online via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/playroomshowroom.
Our standard delivery is via
regular mail. Our payment method is Paypal.
Do you have any plans of expanding
your business outside Greece?
You
can already spot our bags in many parts of the world! And we keep dreaming. Hey
world, we are coming!
Elisavet’s little paradise is in
Athens: Ymittou 9, Holargos
Take a look at her amazing products
on Facebook: playroomshowroom
