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 Sophia Kokosalaki, one of the most creative young designers in the fashion scene, joins the group of designers existing under the organization of Mr. Renzo Rosso.
In recent years, this organization has acquired Staff International (2000), and following Neuf (2002), the organization which controls Maison Martin Margiela.
Due to these acquisitions, a plethora of well-known designers have contacted the group driven by Rosso to discuss potential forms of collaboration and support. However, Mr. Rosso has chosen to focus on the research and development of young talents with incredible depth - often against the mainstream – in order to realize their and his vision of the future of fashion. Sophia Kokosalaki comments: “I’m very excited about this new partnership, I admire and consider Renzo a great business person. Since the beginning I’ve been curious about Staff International’s organisation and followed its development over the years. I have a clear vision about the future of my brand and I’m more than confident that with Staff’s support and expertise I will get the perfect balance between growth and independent creativity”. Renzo Rosso, “ I believe that part of my mission is the search for young promising talents outside of the ordinary. I have never made any acquisition only to increase the profit of the group, but exclusively because I am passionate about the art and sensibility of certain designers, and in the process of their development project, which results in success. In Sophia, I have found someone who is able to communicate emotions via her creations, and knows how to develop alternative fashion for today’s woman. I am certain that soon enough, the Sophia Kokosalaki brand will become a major player in the world of contemporary luxe. Staff International prides itself in a know-how of production and distribution, unique in the world. The tailoring competence of this company perfectly matches the continuous development of techniques and treatments to garments. Fabrics, knitwear, each and every component of the fashion gamut is developed by in-house centers of excellence. This also explains the recent acquisition of a high-end Italian manufacturing company: to further the quality of “Made in Italy” and of the sartorial characteristics for the production of very limited pieces. To complement its know-how in garments, Staff International has also recently created an internal department for leather goods (in particular for shoes and handbags), which has featured the worldwide success of Martin Margiela accessory collections. Today, Staff International is a complete 360° organization which shows a turn over surpassing 110 million Euro in 2006. The first joint venture between Sophia Kokosalaki, the Greek designer based in London, and Staff International, will be during the March 2007 Fall/Winter fashion shows in Paris, France. SOPHIA KOKOSALAKI – PROFILE Born in Greece, Sophia studied Greek and English literature at the University of Athens. She later transferred to London, where she graduated from Central Saint Martin, one of the most prestigious schools of design where many past and present talents emerged from. Based in London, Sophia began collaborating with several international fashion houses, and in 1999 she launched her first own women’s fall/winter collection, which immediately garnered rave reviews and applause from the international fashion press and buyers community. From the beginning, Sophia has been recognized and applauded internationally with various rewards (“Best New Designer 2001”, “Art Foundation Award for Fashion 2002”, “Best New Generation Designer 2003” at the British Style Awards). The designer’s greatest accomplishment to date has been the creation of the costumes for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In 2006 she was appointed Creative Director of the historical house Vionnet where she will continue to collaborate. In her creations there is a visible foundation of her Hellenic heritage re-interpreted with a modern approach. Her creativity transforms each and every piece into a contemporary work of art. (information provided by Diesel) |
