A night of fashion and beauty, featuring some of America’s most talented Greek designers Elene Cassis, Angelo Lambrou, Tina Livanos and …guest star Lia Kastanidi from Athens, was organized recently by the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce Fashion Committee at the Cyprus House, a cultural venue in the heart of Manhattan within the confines of the Consulate General of the Republic of Cyprus in New York.
The meet-the-artists reception, immediately following their shows at New York City Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, was held under the auspices of Consul General of Cyprus in New York Koula Sophianou who was also instrumental in launching the Chamber of Commerce committee.
Elene Cassis features classic and timeless designs that embody the essence of modern elegance, inspire self-confidence and celebrate the graceful curves of the female form. No other line embodies the petite simplicity on the runway or boutique racks as Elene Cassis designs. Since starting her own signature collection (in 2009) which has already caught the attention of top retailer Neiman Marcus, along with over 30 other noted specialty stores nationwide – she has become a favorite of young celebrities, most recently dressing Taylor Swift for an UK editorial in Bliss Magazine.
Angelo Lambrou is an artist in the old world skills of haute couture. As a designer of wedding gowns and eveningwear, originality is the key word in Lambrou’s design vocabulary. Entering the inviting, theatrical environs of his East Village atelier is like crossing over into a Parisian gem of a store on Rue de Grenelle. Lambrou has had his shop there since 2000, where the window displays cause a sensation on the block.
A big fashion lover, Tina Livanos is an attorney who while helping her friend Be Inthavong of the handbag line "BeandD", a favorite amongst Hollywood stars and fashion editors, gained an understanding of the business and decided to start her own line, Livanou, which debuted at Bloomigdales and is now being sold at high end boutiques globally. She is now focusing on more luxury level by using exotic skin like snake, ostrich and alligator and producing more limited quantity but higher quality for the upscale market.
Lia Kastanidi is the founder and creative force behind the chic fashion label Enoe Me. While she was born and raised in Patra, Greece, she has lived abroad for a number of years in pursuit of gaining knowledge and experience in the fashion business. She spent nine years in London, five of which were dedicated towards Fashion Studies Undergraduate degree from London College of Fashion, and the rest were focused on gaining fashion experience working at Liza Bruce. Lia then moved to New York, where she focused her post-graduate studies in styling, visual merchandising, and branding at FIT. In 2007, she returned to Greece and created the Enoe Me brand.
