Aren’t we what the world and the people around us made of us ? We love fashion and art, but what they hide or scream, is a message that is up to us to unveil. And that is the beauty of creation. In this series of artists you need to know about, we present the brand: Nafsika Skourti. Greek-born with Palestinian blood she is making her collections with a purpose, to blend history with fashion.
The brand Nafsika Skourti was founded by the sisters Nafsika and Stephanie Skourti. The womenswear atelier blends Arab designs with kitsch motives seeking the idea to pursue designing clothes with morality and style. Nafsika grew up in Jordan but decided to move to London where she studied at Central Saint Martins. She also trained in haute couture embroidery and passementerie at École Lesage in Paris. After her graduation in 2012 she decided to move back to Jordan to found the label with her sister, and they haven’t stopped ever since.
Nafsika states in many interviews how growing up in the middle east was growing up in a political playground where everyone is deeply immersed into every happening. That background made her vision clear: expression and fashion can be political. She recalls how certain garments with political palestinian symbols were prohibited for many years, and the risk of wearing them determined for what that person stands for. Fashion is important, fashion is a message and an expression of our identity and beliefs. And that is what she seeks in her work.
The sisters made their recent collection “Traces of Being” as a memory capsule into Palestinian life and her family’s history. Skourti centers her work around the country, their culture and history, creating a particular visual language. The idea behind the designs is documenting her mother’s country, preserving memory, creating visibility and promoting humanity. Their work became an archive and a testimony. Keeping intact their beliefs, the sisters work with the association: Ghassan Aby Sitteh Children’s Fund to donate part of their proceeds to injured children being moved to safety to Lebanon.
Fashion is a statement and the Skourti sisters make it very clear. Visibility and representation is important. From being in Paris Fashion week, to dressing actresses like Saoirse Ronan while advocating for human rights and staying firm to their principles is something not every designer can do. We ought to see more of the pair soon since their distinctive trajectory only holds a bright future in their path.
