FETISHISM

melissanthi spei

photos by nikolas ventourakis


 

Melissanthi Spei is a fashion artist based in London that specializes in Womenswear and accessories. She studied Fashion Design for Industry at the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot Watt University, then Art, Media and Design at University of Wales. Finally she graduated in 2013 from the MA Fashion Artefact of London College of Fashion.

 

Her dual studies of arts and fashion allow her to have a conceptual and intellectual approach to research and construction. Sado- masochism is a big influence for Spei, as she applies bondage elements like leather straps, harnesses and wood clips into her garments.
 
Her inspirations also come from her Greek cultural background using mythological characters such as Icarus. She implements drapes, flowing soft textiles, aged golden and metallic colors on instruments and fabrics. This rich universe allowed her to participate last year in the MoBa Fetishism in Fashion exhibition in Arhem, which was curated by our own Lidewij Edelkoort.
 
In her latest project called “Beautiful is Just Another Degree of Terrible” she explores through clothes and accessories the crisis context society the youth of her native country lives in and how by going back to tradition a new path can be found.

She implements in one silhouette a cowbell made accessory that represents the awakening sound of nature and how it can provide protection to an evolving crowd.
 
In another silhouette, a beautiful ruffled top is constraint by a leather harness. She explains:
 
“The aim of this project is to study how social and cultural everyday life issues can be translated within the fashion context to present a fresh point of view. […]”
 
She also emphasizes in the importance of craftsmanship by exploring different techniques and not letting the final result show it’s complexity.
 
The artist’s work is structured, well constructed and lyrical. Her influences are well defined and even though they could be considered as very far apart from each other, through a mastered technique she manages to put them together in a logical and feminine way.
 
Her ideal woman can be interpreted as a fragile warrior that transmits her power in the subtle channel of details, letting the untrained eye perceive softness.
 
Pablo Marcus Bien
 
melissanthispei.com


 

photos by nikolas ventourakis

 

photos by nikolas ventourakis