OUR STORY
The Kyriaki story begins with a collection of seven hand-painted silk scarves, laced with intricate motifs and hidden initials that echo the world around us.
Once stitched on silk robes, negligees, and handkerchiefs for lovers, these elusive letters are more than mere monograms. They are revealed from shadows, transforming into butterflies, waves and branches in sensuous color.
The Kyriaki world is surreal and enchanted. There is nothing too curious, too fantastic.
Kyriaki is romance between the fabric and the artist, the artist and the patron, the patron and their friend, a darling or even oneself. It is a connection, a memory, a dream.
Kyriaki is a love story, if there ever was one.
HER STORY
Kyriaki Drakotos’ interest in initials began as a young girl in Greece, where she first discovered the handmade, monogrammed silk robes of her mother and aunt. These intricate embroideries were her earliest inspiration.
“In Greece, handicraft was a part of life. I was taught, like every girl, to embroider initials, fantastical creatures and imagery on handkerchiefs and other handmade garments. Embroidery was one of the first spaces for women’s art and expression. Seeing my mother’s monogrammed robes imported from Paris, I aimed to fuse the worlds of handicraft and couture, which for me embodied womanhood.”
After moving to the US as a teenager, Drakotos attended Pratt Institute where she studied graphic arts and illustration. Years later, memories of these garments lingered. She began to paint, translating stitches of embroidery to brushwork.
Recalling medieval tapestries and lovers’ handkerchiefs, Kyriaki celebrates both women and the individual with a modern playful eye.
“I want to create garments that connect women to their names and uplift their identities.”
For Kyriaki, quality and craftsmanship are of the utmost importance. Each scarf design is meticulously hand painted by Drakotos and printed in Italy on the finest materials.
Drakotos currently resides in New York City, where she is overseeing the launch of her first collection for Kyriaki - a collection of seven oversized silk scarves, each featuring a letter with a unique theme.
