European fashion has a very distinctive look. To me, it often conjours up images of sharp tailoring, or felted wools, and overly fussy detailing. But Kourbela is a European label that will strike a chord with New Zealand women…
European fashion has a very distinctive look. To me, it often conjours up images of sharp tailoring, or felted wools, and overly fussy detailing.
But Kourbela is a European label that will strike a chord with New Zealand women because I think it has a common thread with much-loved NZ brands like nom.d, Zambesi, Miss Crabb and tkstore that envelope and drape the body, and our knitwear traditions of Sabatini and Insidious Fix.
Kourbela isn’t a label well known here in New Zealand but Jacquie Hudson wants that to change. She fell in love with the label in Greece, and is now distributing it here in NZ. It’s currently available in three stores and she hopes this will grow like topsy as more women discover its charms; beautiful styling and construction, high quality materials, and unique designs.
The label is made in Greece from natural materials including organic cotton, silk and linen. Says designer Ioanna Kourbela "I adore natural fibres. They not only enrich and add to an item’s design; they also dress one in the best desired fashion."
Many of the pieces are extremely versatile, and can be worn many ways.
‘How do I wear this?’ is an oft-heard question for labels like this; and yes, it needs some explanation as to how to wear it, and that means the shelf appeal may be helped by sales assistants showing you what to do! For that reason, how to wear Kourbela is helpfully demonstrated in a video on Youtube.
Jacquie Hudson showed Thread how to wear the 2550 Cardigan ($245.00)
Below: Back to front, crossing the ties at the front of the waist.
…and the back view.
Next: the asymetric top with scarf created with the same 2550 Cardigan.
There’s also a line of leather accessories including super soft leather belts that tie up, without metal buckles, as seen on the mannequin above ($135).
Below: the tan leather bag.
The Spring Summer 2011/12 collection is entitled H20 and has the following poetic inspiration:
I am sinking in the water
Listening tasting all the dewdrops
Inhaling his light
Wearing his colours
resurfacing
dressed in his sounds
and inner secrets…
…Children’s voices
Coming from afar
where the wave meets the sand
Her legs searching the sun in the pebbles
And it is still very early in the morning.
How very Greek to combine literature, design and art – just like in ancient times – but now, in a very wearable way. After all, who invented draping, if not them?
STOCKIST DETAILS: To locate your nearest Ioanna Kourbela stockist please visit www.theroomdownstairs.co.nz or call 09 376 4086. Stockists include October Reign in Ponsonby, Aqua in The Strand Takapuna, and House of Hedone in High St Auckland.
Megan Robinson 23 November 2011
Leave a Reply