Having launched her signature collection in 1998, Kokosalaki's Grecian-inspired ruched dresses and cobweb tops have attracted runway applause from the world's most discerning critics, and landed her design stints at the Milanese label Ruffo Research and at London's Top Shop.

Her most recent design project is for the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies to be staged in her home town in August. For sports fanatics, the Olympics are a time of great anticipation, but for Kokosalaki, being commissioned by choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou to design costumes for the ceremonies is the supreme endorsement of her talent. 'It's a very moving experience,' she says. 'I'm honoured to be part of it, and this is very different from working on a collection. There will be about 30,000 outfits, and it's going to be an extravaganza.'

Bound by confidentiality agreements, Kokosalaki can't reveal much about the ceremonies. But, she says, there'll be no lack of flair. 'There will be references to Grecian traditions, but there will not be togas and tunics,' she says. 'There will not be tacky Greek costumes, and the collection will be contemporary and low-key. No ancient Greeks and nothing folksy.'

Kokosalaki rummages through piles of clothing in her living room in search of her cigarettes. 'Greece has never been a fashionable place,' she says. 'It's known for wedding dresses. You never see anything too avant garde, and I wanted to do something different.'

Kokosalaki's mother was a journalist and her father a civil engineer. Like many designers, she developed her interest at a young age, sketching dream frocks and girly gowns. Despite her passion for design, Kokosalaki studied literature at the University of Athens.

'[Athens] is not like London where you're exposed to fashion constantly. None of the designers from Greece have had success internationally, so I wanted to study something else and get a degree, just in case things don't work out.'

Shortly after graduation, Kokosalaki began toying with the idea of launching her own collection, when she sold some of her home-made pieces to local boutiques. In 1996, she left Athens, and did a Masters degree at London's Central Saint Martins design college. The two years she spent there were anything but easy, she says.

'I think I almost died,' she says, as she reminisces about her days under the notoriously abrasive course director Louise Wilson - who has weaned the likes of Maria Chen-Pascual and Jonathan Saunders. 'I thought I was doing OK at the beginning, and towards the end I was dying. The two years brought lots of criticism, but it was also a time when I found my own direction.'

In 1998, Kokosalaki launched her own label. Her ethereal warrior goddess creations stood out in a sea of vintage wear and 80s inspired ra-ra skirts. Shortly after her widely acclaimed debut collection, she was offered the position of guest designer for Ruffo Research, following in the footsteps of Antonio Berardi, Veronique Branquinho, Raf Simons and A.F. Vandevorst. The line, since discontinued, was dedicated to the creation of unique leather pieces, designed by the world's emerging talents.

'It was very new and exciting,' Kokosalaki says. 'I was working in London and all of a sudden you go to show in Milan. It was a good experience for me to familiarise myself with leather.' After spending a year at the Milanese house, Kokosalaki diverted her attention back to her own label.

Drawing inspiration from her Athenian roots, she combines the details of traditional Grecian costumes with a dose of urban sensibility. 'My clothes are sexy, but it's still dignified for women to wear them,' she says. 'I don't design to humiliate women, because sexiness isn't about pulling tops down and skirts up. I don't use fur in my designs. My clothes are inspired by my background - but you won't be seeing my customers in togas at parties.'

For her spring/summer 2004 collection, which is available at Hong Kong's D-Mop, Kokosalaki featured an array of skimpy dresses and tops done up with Fortuny-inspired micro pleats. Working with a romantic palette of muted terracotta, creamy mints and whisper soft pinks, the pieces are versatile and resort-friendly. 'I was inspired when I was on holiday with my boyfriend,' she says. 'I hadn't been on summer holidays for a while and, when I was in Greece, I saw that people wore lots of shorts on holidays. It's funny because I told myself I would never do hotpants before and here they are now for my new collection. The material is super-stretch, with lots of complicated twisting and less draping. Everyone expects me to do lots of Grecian stuff. I'm tired of Grecian draping and wanted to come up with a collection of travel-friendly clothes.'

Although London's fashion scene is considered a breeding ground for talent, the city is also notoriously bad at retaining up-and-coming designers. But Kokosalaki says she's content with her London base at the moment.

'There are many bad shows here in London,' she says. 'But there are also some promising ones. Showing abroad can be expensive. The schedules are packed, things can be expensive, and you can't get good models with limited budgets. For now, I'm happy to be in London.'