'GLAD YOU DIDN'T bring a photographer,' says Sophia Kokosalaki as she opens the door to her loft in London's Hackney. 'Be warned. It's quite a mess here because we just finished our fittings.'
Dressed in a simple, black, boat-neck top that is a stark contrast to her bleach-blonde hair, the designer appears exhausted. The night before, she'd unveiled her spring/summer collection on the London Fashion Week runway. 'I'm so glad the show is over,' says Kokosalaki, as she sips her morning coffee. 'I had a horrible headache last night.'
The Athens-born, London-based designer is, arguably, one of the city's few remaining talents since the decline of Cool Britannia with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson and Luella Bartley heading to the US and Paris to show. For 30-year-old Kokosalaki - whose customers include Jennifer Lopez and Courtney Love - opportunities are infinite.
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.'