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Explore Artisans Museums & Galleries Experience Itineraries About
©Christiana Vardakou
©Ioanna Morfinou
©Ioanna Morfinou
©Ioanna Morfinou
©Christiana Vardakou

Christiana Vardakou

  • Textile dyer
  • Athens, Greece
  • Rising Star
Christiana Vardakou Textile dyer
Contact
Greek, English
Hours:
Monday to Friday 10:00 - 18:00
Phone:
+30 2106772979
©Ioanna Morfinou

The promise of colours

  • • Christiana learned her dyeing techniques in South East Asia
  • • She likes to combine digital printing with natural dyes
  • • Nature and travel are her main sources of inspiration

While she was experimenting with natural dyeing in a school workshop, Christiana Vardakou made a promise to herself: “If these colours are so pretty and better for the environment - I’m not going to use chemical dyes again”. And she never did. The Greek textile designer is specialised in natural dyeing and traditional weaving. She mostly dyes using plants from her garden or from Mani, south Peloponnese. After she graduated in Textile Design from the Chelsea College of Arts, Christiana travelled for four months through South East Asia. Across the different countries, she came into contact with craftspeople who taught her their own traditional dyeing techniques. Returning to her home country with greater knowledge, the designer aimed to perpetuate and share her love for textiles.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Christiana Vardakou
  • ©Christiana Vardakou
  • ©Christiana Vardakou
  • ©Christiana Vardakou
Photo: ©Christiana Vardakou
Duo de vases sur plateau

The coral silk kimono is made from undyed silk fabric from Soufli. One of Christiana Vardakou’s paintings of the Aegean Sea and sunset was edited on photoshop and digitally printed on silk fabric. The painting was only printed once to ensure its uniqueness. The kimono is machine sewn, one size, unisex and features a myriad of colours. To the right of the Kimono is a collection of handmade naturally dyed headbands.

Length 110 cm
Width 55 cm
Height 60 cm

Photo: ©Christiana Vardakou
Clapham pillow

This brown, orange and yellow pillow is made from 100% silk fabric. A photo of the Icelandic landscape was digitally printed onto the silk fabric, and then batiked with naturally dyes made with heather flowers, chamomile, tansy flowers and cutch. The cushion was machine sewn. There is a brown plastic zipper on one of the edges.

Length 65 cm
Width 40 cm

Photo: ©Christiana Vardakou
Clapham pillow

The front of this pillow was handwoven in Vientiane, Laos. It has a textured pattern of little rhombuses. The warp is cotton and the weft is silk. It was then naturally dyed with indigo hues. The back of the pillow is made from 100% silk satin fabric from Soufli, Greece. It was coloured with indigo hued natural dyes. The pillow was machine sewn, and there is a discrete blue plastic zip on the bottom.

Length 50 cm
Width 35 cm

Photo: ©Christiana Vardakou
Philippi baby blanket

This baby blanket was coloured with completely natural dyes. The blanket is made from 100% cotton, the weft is undyed cotton and the warp is a textured cotton yarn. It was handwoven on a floor loom and naturally dyed with indigo, a light shade of blue. Then it was hand stitched with indigo dyed cotton thread.

Length 100 cm
Width 80 cm

Enjoy an experience with Christiana Vardakou

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