Katerina Karoussos

Milliner

©Constantina Chnari

©KaterinaKarouss

Imagination, fashion and fabrics

Katerina started out as a milliner in New York
She oversees the hats of the Greek Presidential Guard and Aegean Airlines
Her inspiration for new hats stems from materials

Katerina Karoussos has been working in the fashion industry since 1979. In 1986 she graduated in Millinery from the New York Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She remained in New York for five years working for Eric Javits and Liz Clairborne. Upon her return to Athens, her vision was to keep the art of hat making alive and so she started collecting materials and equipment that other craftsmen were leaving behind. In 1990 she founded her atelier in Kolonaki, Athens and her business flourished. From a young age, Katerina designed and sewed her own clothes, and hats have always been an integral part of her daily outfit. She believes that it is crucial to teach crafts to young talented people so that all forms of art and craftsmanship may be preserved.

Interview

©KaterinaKarouss

©Constantina Chnari

Why did you choose this craft?: There was a point when I noticed that all the old craftsmen were slowly disappearing and I could not allow the great art of hat making to be lost. At the same time, I wanted to design and create my hats.
Did you learn your craft from a master?: While attending a millinery course at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, I was fortunate to have a teacher of Italian origin who was in her eighties. She had known hats during a period when they were a very expensive accessory.
How is your craft linked to the place where you live and work?: Today, my workshop is located in Petralona because it was the place that hosted Pil-Poul (Pilopoigia Poulopoulos), a legendary factory. Poulopoulos hats won international awards and the manufacturer was the largest in the Balkans in terms of production.
What do you love most about your craft?: What I love most about millinery are the high demands entailed, which challenge me to constantly evolve. I also see my craft as a service to the fashion industry, which is an industry that I deeply respect and value.

Katerina Karoussos is a master artisan: she began her career in 1983 and she started teaching in 2017