MAKING OF Archives - Atelier Zolotas

Zolotas Runway Report in Athens Bridal Fashion week… THE BACKSTAGE!

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 23:04:23 +0000

You’ve probably heard all about it… Atelier Zolotas presented an amazing runway show on Saturday night, during Athens Bridal Fashion week, which you can easily find all over the internet this week… However, half the magic of a runway show is hidden in the backstage!

Mneme Photography was given special access, and became your perfect insider, capturing every exciting detail of the preparation, moments before the music started, and the Hellenic Vintage models by VG Zolotas were found in the limelight!

Michalis Pantos oversaw the creative process, the team of Freddy Make up & L’oreal Professionnel transformed the models into Grecian goddesses, Red Box Days provided the gorgeous floral headpieces & bouquets, and since we definitely needed some golden glow, we counted on Thallo jewelry, as always.

The attendees who watched the Zolotas show almost doubled in size since last year, and after the catwalk finale, they enjoyed the impressive after-party hosted by the talented team of Ellwed, which followed!

Atelier Zolotas began the new season by sharing its story of Grecian heritage in vintage lace and handmade embroidery, and for the first time, VG Zolotas revealed some of his upcoming macramé designs on the runway!

Prepare for some intense bohemian vibes and start scrolling down

PS. We know you want to see the runway action and the Ellwed after party… so just press play at the video by Feel your Films, at the end of this article!

We would like to cordially thank the talented professionals who worked towards this impressive result!

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What happens at a Zolotas Trunk Show…

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 21:09:54 +0000

If you are a bride-to-be, you have surely heard stories about the extraordinary experience of a Zolotas Trunk Show in Cyprus, Thessaloniki, Crete, and so many new places!

We have previously shared with you the very first Zolotas Trunk Show which took place in Cyprus and then evolved into an established event! Soon, it started to take place twice a year, after all the available appointments were booked out! The first Trunk Show took place in an ultramodern house of glass, in the heart of a forest… Then, we opted for seaside mansions… But do you want to know how it all began?

During the process of creating this event, we asked the simple question: How do you dream of finding your wedding dress? We wanted to give a great answer to this question, so we created a magical experience!

The concept is simple… The handmade dresses of the entire Hellenic Vintage collection travel all the way from Athens to the Trunk Show destination. Our team, the wedding experts of Atelier Zolotas, welcome you to a luxurious villa of impressive architecture in order to give you the perfect idea of our haute couture collection, by trying on its handmade models. This experience would not be the same without your favorite people, whom you are encouraged to have with you during your appointment! To make this beautiful event even more unforgettable, you will definitely need your girlfriends and your beloved family, so they are all welcome to our house as well!

Let us share some beautiful moments from the latest Zolotas Trunk Show in Cyprus, to give you a good idea of what comes next! We would like to thank Vassilis Adamopoulos (you probably already know his work from the Our Brides blog section) for attending it in order to capture some of its idyllic moments…

PHOTOGRAPHY: Vassilis Adamopoulos
HANDMADE WEDDING DRESSES: Atelier Zolotas

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In his own words…

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 18:45:19 +0000

Choosing your wedding dress is not just about fabric and lace. You acquire a part of heritage, an entire culture, making your bridal story happen from the moment you imagined it.

Everything that happens in Atelier Zolotas is true, it comes from the heart, through the need for intense thrills!

Since 1972, we make haute-couture wedding gowns that have a story to tell. In the video, the designer VG Zolotas talks about his process of creation, in his own words…

VIDEOGRAPHY: Rec Cinematography | WEDDING DRESSES: Atelier Zolotas
COVER PHOTO: Arte Cinematica

The post In his own words… appeared first on Atelier Zolotas.

We Had 3 Days to Make Flying the Nest’s Wedding Dress. Here’s What Happened.

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 18:45:14 +0000

Flying the Nest Wedding Dress: How We Turned 3 Days into a Couture Marathon

We never miss a chance to make a bride-to-be part of the creation and completion of her handmade wedding dress, tailored from the very start just for her.

Who Are Flying the Nest?

Flying the Nest are Stephen and Jess, Australian travel vloggers who left everything behind to travel the world full-time. Through their Flying the Nest YouTube channel and blog, they’ve documented their adventures across 80+ countries. So when it came to their own wedding, of course they chose a destination as unforgettable as their travels.

Designing the Flying the Nest Wedding Dress in Greece

This time, we had a very special couple in the Atelier. Jess first discovered the ZOLOTAS collection in our Australian Zolotas boutique, where she had her first fitting and instantly fell in love with the handmade Hellenic style. But with time running out before the wedding, there was only one solution: to go straight to the heart of it all.

So Jess flew to Greece to design the Flying the Nest wedding dress at the Atelier Zolotas headquarters, where every gown in our handmade Hellenic collection is born. Since she and Stephen had chosen to get married in Greece – these two are obviously in love! – she wanted her dress to feel as Hellenic as possible. Needless to say, we were thrilled to become part of such a personal journey.

From Freddo Cappuccino to Final Fitting

From her first fitting (and their Greek Freddo Cappuccinos -which they became addicted to), up to the last stitch of her Rhea Essence dress from the Hellenic Vintage collection, Jess’s emotions are put on display!

What made it unforgettable? We had just 3 days to complete this couture creation. It turned into a true tailoring marathon, with our team working around the clock while Stephen captured an exclusive behind-the-scenes video of the Flying the Nest wedding dress coming to life.

Soon after, they were getting married in Mykonos. After the wedding, their love story continued on the island of Santorini, where they combined their honeymoon with a breathtaking day-after photoshoot.

But before walking down the aisle on this iconic Greek island, the story of the Flying the Nest wedding dress was already complete—handmade, Hellenic, and filled with moments we’ll never forget.

Now, press play and step into the story behind her wedding dress!

P.S. Stephen broke tradition by seeing the bride before the wedding and watching her during her fittings (he even cooled her down with my handheld fan when she got a bit hot).

And they were truly #couplegoals.

VIDEOGRAPHY: Flying the Nest | WEDDING DRESS: Atelier Zolotas, Rhea Essence Dress
GROOM’S HAIRCUT: Spyros Tsoukanis | FREDDO CAPPUCCINOS: Donuts Time
COVER PHOTO: Phosart Photography Cinematography

The post We Had 3 Days to Make Flying the Nest’s Wedding Dress. Here’s What Happened. appeared first on Atelier Zolotas.

The dressmakers behind the Atelier

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 17:41:44 +0000

I’ve been meaning to talk about the seamstresses of the Atelier for quite a while.

I still remember my first day at the office, which allowed me to see them all and hear them as they were working, so I had the chance to observe them for the first time. Having worked for a multinational firm, among other companies before I started working for the Atelier, I was used to keeping a professional distance at my workplace, so this was a sudden (and wonderful) transition.

Their DNA is to mainly be mothers, if not grandmothers, who just happen to be little haute couture masters at dressmaking, by tailoring in an outstanding manner. It’s a vibrant beehive, each one of them with her own habits and stories to tell!

To be honest, I don’t think that they still fully understand what I actually do in front of my computer, keystroking the whole day, but from the very first day they saw me, they started treating me to a piece of the pie they had made (because “I am too skinny”), or remarking that I should have worn a jacket.

They have the sweetest daily habits, which I don’t think that they realize how charming they are, like waiting for one another in order to leave the atelier altogether! Everything passes through their hands, and you can see them creating the most contemporary gowns with a valuable traditional approach.

In order to present them in the most realistic way, I spoke to Mrs. Argyro, the second most senior seamstress, who has been working at the Atelier for 27 years. I chose her because the dressmaker who has worked the longest for the Atelier is deaf-mute -counting 36 years in the Atelier!

Back to Mrs. Argyro, who at the age of 12-13, was an apprentice seamstress on the island of Chios (where the Zolotas family also comes from), during the summertime or after school. Tailoring was something she would often do while bringing up her children. When she came to the atelier, she didn’t have to learn how to tailor, but actually brought her own expertise, and as she characteristically mentioned: “I would always set my mind in motion while sewing”. Therefore, she had a creative approach as well -and she also noted that she is unsurpassed in matters of fine stitching details!

When VG took the reigns as creative director, he introduced his own style to the bridal house, and I wanted to know what she thought of this transition, having worked for his mother for many years. When I asked her to comment his collection, she said that it is exquisite and that it requires more detailed work than ever! She also said that the work you put in a wedding dress is not something that everyone can realize!

The ladies of the Atelier are wonderful. Not only because they have become family, but also because they are truly rare and precious. They carry the Hellenic traditional techniques and convey them in a beautiful reality that travels around the world. And without their daily hive of activity, my office would be unbearably quiet!

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Designer’s note: Story behind the dress…

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 17:40:44 +0000

Every dress has its own story…

Starting from the second you get the idea that gets you excited… and you put it on paper.

You simply want time to stop… and run to a mannequin doll… Nothing can hold back your inner impulse to give life to it.

So you sit in front of it and your hands start creating… it is a beautiful canvas… almost ready to have its moments and stories reflected on this new dress-to-be…

The exciting beginning, the stitches, the fittings… going back and forth to the mannequin, again and again…the decisions that will form its final shape, up to the last detail…

It is truly unique…

Half its beauty lies in being part of a family you love working with..who get inspired by you and get you inspired in return, by their endless talent and amazing character… Sharing endless creative hours of happiness together.. making every handmade dress with the same care and affection.. a bond like no other, trust me.

Suddenly the wedding dress is ready… and it straight away starts having its first admirers…

Soon there is a small crowd around it… Models, photographers, make up artists, hairdressers, a large team, all there to make it shine…

After that, everything is ready…you can now share it with everyone else…

Soon it will find its way to a bride-to-be.

Her memories, her life’s experience, her character will lead her to that immediate connection.. the first urge to try it on and finally fall in love with it, choosing it as her wedding dress!

Just thinking about its journey… it’s overwhelming!

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New Zolotas boutique in Australia!

admin — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 13:30:52 +0000

It all started with Sophie going to a wedding!

She traveled from Perth, Australia, where she lives, all the way to Greece, to attend her cousin’s wedding.

While she was at the wedding, she uploaded a photo of the bride and groom on her social media profile. The bride was dressed in a custom-made Atelier Zolotas couture gown. After the post was online, she started to receive comments and messages from her friends complimenting the bride’s dress as this style seemed completely different! The comments continued the following days and she decided to measure its appeal by doing a little test!

After doing some research on the brand, she had an idea… which was basically “taking” this bridal brand with her all the way back to Australia! While she was still in Athens, she arranged a meeting with the designer, VG Zolotas, to discuss this prospect and see the whole collection in person. When she visited the Atelier, she became even more impressed by it, as it was indeed unique and innovative and she felt more confident about this plan. She shared the idea of bringing the handmade Hellenic Vintage collection to Australia, as this would be something Australia had never seen before… and it seems that enthusiasm reaches agreements!

Within three weeks’ time, Sophie set up her own wedding boutique under the name Zolotas Australia, which would be Perth’s newest bridal collection!

Atelier Zolotas became Western Australia’s biggest bridal arrival. The collection spoke directly to the hearts of the Australian brides, who started placing orders.

The “Hellenic Vintage” collection brought something different… it is part of a precious heritage, originality and haute couture craftsmanship. All the dresses are made completely by hand, in the most unconventional and bohemian way.

This was something bigger than just a dream come true… it was about bringing a piece of the Hellenic tradition, a country where Sophie comes from, to Australia.

The post New Zolotas boutique in Australia! appeared first on Atelier Zolotas.

Sneak Peak into the first Trunk Show of Atelier Zolotas in Cyprus!

admin — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 13:19:18 +0000

During November 2016, the Cypriot brides-to-be had the chance to book their appointment to attend our exclusive Trunk Show and meet with our Atelier Zolotas’ wedding specialists team!

The Trunk Show opened its doors for three days, on Friday the 11th of November, in the heart of Adelfi Forest, at a minimal design house of superb architecture, at Kannavia of Nicosia.

The complete “Hellenic Vintage” Collection was available for the brides to try on and of course, discover their wedding dress! For the first time, we were excited to introduce the brand new “Hellenic Vintage Crop Top” Collection that was also displayed for them!

The brides-to-be shared the experience with their closest ones in an ultimate bridal atmosphere!

For us, it was a pleasure to welcome them to our house and become a part of their big day, in the way every bride wishes to choose her wedding dress!

On behalf of the designer VG Zolotas and the whole team, we would like to thank our Cypriot guests for their warm welcome, with the promise to come back soon!

Until next time….
Atelier Zolotas

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