WAVES OF ELEGANCE: DAPHNE VALENTE

14 hours ago

5 min read

Fashion designer Daphne Valente works through an aesthetic of sculptural pleating and minimal form, where fabric becomes a fluid structure informed by Greek identity, inspired by the light, movement, and openness of the Aegean landscape.

PORTES EDITOR:

You discovered your artistic identity after attending the exhibition of Mariano Fortuny during your first year studying in London. How did this experience inspire your style?

DAPHNE VALENTE:

Entering the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery and setting eyes on the Fortuny pleated gowns for the first time, I felt as if I had arrived home. I witnessed something so Grecian and beautiful that, for me, it was an apocalypse. I was extremely fortunate to discover my source of inspiration so early in my studies. Most students try to discover their personal style for years. In my case, it was offered to me in a lavish museum display.

Your degree collection at Central Saint Martins, featuring trompe l’oeil optical illusions printed on dresses, was immediately bought by Browns boutique department store in London. What was that breakthrough moment like, and how did it shape your confidence as a young designer?

At the time it happened, I felt on top of the world! Being discovered by Browns was any young designer’s dream! I was deeply honored to meet the recently deceased owner of Browns, Joan Burstein (1926–2026), who was a fashion icon. Looking back, though, it was the wrong timing for me. Instead of working for a fashion brand to gain experience, I was forced to start my own company. Even though I was well trained creatively, I had no clue about the ins and outs of running a business.

You create one-size, seasonless garments that deliberately avoid age or bodyshape discrimination. What is the philosophy behind this inclusive, enduring approach to fashion?

I have recently celebrated 40 years in fashion, and during this long span, pleating has always been my main means of expression. Pleating is timeless. It stretches, it hugs the body, and it can expand to complement any body shape. With my team, we have developed a unique technique to handle the pleats in a sculptural manner using haute couture methods. I believe it is extremely distasteful to exclude a woman from buying a dress because of her body shape or age. In our shop, we always find a way to make every woman look elegant.

In three words, describe your art.

Sculptural. Timeless. Relaxed.

The sea is my elixir, my meditation, my refuge, my oracle. By the sea, I can relax, get inspired, solve a problem, get energized, and feel alive. I am so fortunate to live in our beautiful country, surrounded by the sea!

How do you translate the timeless Greek spirit into minimal, contemporary pieces that feel both sculptural and wearable today?

Minimal is the key word. I am a firm believer that “less is more.” I try to create a pure form with minimal decorative elements that has no age, no season, and no limits.

In the age of fast fashion, you choose quality and strong ethics while incorporating a unique technique to deliver affordable haute couture.

Walk us through the creative process of one of your pleated dresses.

I work in my own unconventional way. After deciding upon the theme of the collection, I let my inner child go wild. I begin playing with the fabric on the dress form. In most cases, I start toying with a rectangular piece of fabric until something interesting appears. Later in the production process, meeting with my team, we discuss how the pre-sample can be improved and how it can become a viable piece in the collection.

What do you enjoy the most about creating wearable art?

The process of creating a collection resembles a pregnancy, although I have no children! I confront my agonies, my self-doubts, and my panics. Through the pain, when something beautiful is born, I experience the overwhelming joy of creation! Nothing can beat this pleasure and feeling. This keeps me alive and kicking.

Your Making Waves collection was explicitly inspired by your deep love for the sea. What about your relationship with the Greek sea sparked this creative endeavor?

All my collections are inspired by my roots! In my DNA, you will discover sculpture influenced by the minimal lines of the Ionian columns, colors, movement, and freedom inspired by the Aegean Sea, and a passion for culture born from being raised in a country surrounded by art. Each collection is a combination of these elements.

From the emerald tones in your pleated dresses to the watery palettes in recent collections, the Aegean Sea’s colors appear throughout your work. How does the Greek sea shape your fabric choices and the sculptural flow of your designs?

In my view, Greece can be drawn in all shades of blue, so my color selection has to be an ode to the Hellenic palette.

Recent collections such as Living Sculpture explore movement and fabric as living art. What themes and emotions are you most excited to explore in your upcoming work?

What do you hope your clients feel when wearing a Daphne Valente piece?

My customers have confided in me that they feel empowered, comfortable, free, and that they love capturing attention through their understated elegance.

What would you say has been the greatest challenge as a creative individual in fashion?

Greece offers me all the creative inspiration. But in my country, working in fashion is very difficult. Maintaining an independent company with limited resources and no support from the government, the banks, or the few local clothing producers, it is a miracle to stay afloat while overcoming all the obstacles.

As former president of the Hellenic Fashion Designers Association, you have played a key role in organizing Athens Fashion Week. What impact do you believe Greek designers have on the global stage?

Unfortunately, the minimum impact. Very few designers have the chance to showcase at the international fashion weeks, often having to overcome obstacles such as inadequate financing and limited production capacity. I hope that this can change in the future because there is a lot of talent in Greece.

Is there a place in Greece that is dear to you, and what makes it so?

I adore the Mykonos of my early years. So fun, carefree, wild. Nothing compares with the phony, showoff, nouveau riche destination it has become.

As an alternative, I love the island of Kythnos.

With more than four decades of creating timeless, slow-fashion pieces rooted in craftsmanship and Greek identity, what single piece of advice would you give to emerging designers who want their work to feel both personal and enduring?

I would advise them to be passionate, express their inner selves, trust their instincts, dare not to conform, and have resilience and discipline.