Athens Xclusive Fashion Show is an excellent showcase event for designers from around the globe, and especially those who call Greece home. Panos Apergis is one of many Greek fashion designers impressing the world on the big stage at Athens Xclusive. Apergis combines his love of fashion design with a strong educational background, and no shortage of maternal influence, to create a product line that is uniquely his own.
Apergis was born and raised in the city of Patras, the third-largest city in Greece which located in northern Peloponnese just 215 km west of Athens. His family is originally from the island of Kefalonia, but he grew up in Patras surrounded by colors and fabrics in his mother’s modest boutique shop.
His mother, Sophia Apergi, owned a haute couture atelier and was a dress maker. He grew up with colors, fabrics, and fashion design in his blood. It was in his mother’s shop that he would create his first design, a white shirt that he eventually wore out with friends. From there, his career continued on an upward trajectory at a young age. When he was just 23 years old, he designed a suit that was worn in a theatrical play. This is a moment he looks back on as the point at which he realised a life in fashion design was his destiny.
Combining Natural Talent with Quality Education
The greatest aspect of fashion design is the ability of individuals with talent and vision to create fashions that the world finds amazing. Fashion designs come in all shapes and sizes, as it were, with some holding formal educations from globally recognised fashion programs and others using natural talents and skills honed over years of hard work.
Apergis brings both of these facets to bear in his designs. While he grew up around fabrics in his mother’s shop, trying his hand at designs from a young age, he also participated in intensive educational seminars in Italy and Greece. His seminars ranged from fashion design and sketching to textiles, and took him from Frascati and Rome in Italy (1993 to 1994) to Athens in 1995.
Of course, he has also worked with many of the world’s top designers in the process of honing his skills. His creations have appeared on both film and television sets during his career, and he has teamed up with the likes of Nikos Apostolopoulos to present new fashion lines to the world.
A Regular at Fashion Shows
The first appearance Apergis made at a fashion show occurred more than 15 years ago in Milan and Bologna in Italy. His original creations appeared under the title of “fashion-textile-colour.” He has appeared in his native country’s Athens Xclusive Fashion Show every year now since 2009. With all this time spent preparing for fashion shows, it’s no wonder he has a routine down to prepare himself for each new show.
Apergis focuses first on the completion of his collection, and then works on casting models, fitting each outfit, and practising on the catwalk. With so much on his plate when it comes to creating designs and preparing for shows, Apergis often works with an agency to find the perfect models for each of his fashion lines.
Design Process and Inspirations
Although he is a native son of Greece, Apergis is quick to admit that Athens isn’t a city that defines world fashion. However, its colour and light give it an ethnic and casual style that perfectly fits his chic-street approach to design. Purchasing his fabrics from wholesale stores in Greece and abroad, the average design in his collection can be completed in just two days. That said, he admits that the amount of time it takes to complete any design is dependent upon the design itself and the fabrics he is working with.
When it comes to the design process, it starts with the conception of an idea. From there he selects the best fabrics, with a keen eye on the quality of the fabric and simplicity of the clothing. Once those factors are in place, he gets the pattern he wants in place and begins to sew the piece together. With so much success in his career, Apergis isn’t stepping away from his hands-on approach. He enjoys following every stage of the production process to ensure the materials used are top quality, and that the final design matches his original conception.
Following Apergis and his Designs
Currently you’ll find many of Apergis’ best designs available in selected stores and museums worldwide, something he views as his greatest achievement so far. Admirers of his designs will find his work online as well. While his long-term career goal is to land his fashion in the top stores worldwide, he is always focused short term on developing his next collection.