Myrto Stamou

Her Gold Award winning “Phantasmagoria” collection has been transforming her dreams into reality.

“I always loved drawing from a very young age,” says Greek-born graduate Myrto Stamou, recalling memories of her early childhood, which she spent innocently developing a love for art in the secluded village of Arta in Greece. She muses, “It is amazing when something you dream of becomes true!”

Stemming from this passion for painters and photographers, her intent from when she first started studying fashion in Greece, and then through her studies at UCA Rochester in England, has always been the same. She expresses her desire for her own label wistfully, as if for a moment it drifts from her mind that she is actually mere months away from designing her first collection under her own name. There is a charm, not only in her modesty of her success, but also in the relaxed silhouettes of her clothes, that is unsettlingly capturing. She has an eye for sultry draping and sinuous flowing lines that saw her graduate collection winning her the prestigious Gold Award at Graduate Fashion Week last year.

The femininity and elegance of the garments are particularly reminiscent of the designer Sophia Kokosalaki’s work, who Stamou reveals as her most admired and inspirational designer. It was the surrealist painter Hans Bellmer’s work, “The Spinning Top”, however, that sparked the idea that blossomed into Stamou’s winning collection. It incorporated phantasmagoric imagery in subtle fabric manipulation, using jersey and leather in soft nude, cream and beige colours. “I want to make woman feel charming and ethereal when they wear my clothes,” she explains, “not suppressed as they would be under a heavily constructed garments.

Half a year later and the young designer is fresh from completing a six-month internship with Hannah Marshall, who’s predominantly black, body conscious collections incorporate surreal, unnatural silhouettes. “She is so inspiring,” Stamou says, “working that closely with someone gives you such an insight into their vision.” Marshall is currently in her 7th season of production, and Stamou, despite her insistence that studying at university has utmost importance, is full of praise for the confidence and experience she gained as an intern.

So what does Stamou see for herself next? She is collaborating with the sponsors of Graduate Fashion Week, high street giant River Island, to produce two interpretations of garments from her graduate collection that will be available to purchase in May. However, she admits “I’m moving back to Greece next month” to which she adds enthusiastically her plans to base her own label in Athens. “I am hoping I can be successful”, she hesitates “and “I hope I can start showing in London.” Wishful thinking? Not at all. Reality may still be surreal for Myrto Stamou, but so far dreams come true, so good.