Dynamic Duo: Victoria Kyriakides & Stelios Makrogkikas
Michele Iacovelli
AS REPORTED BY SALLY KILBRIDGE
Sweepingly glamorous, frankly sensual, and boldly fashion-forward, the Victoria KyriaKides label has launched a thousand bridal fantasies. With a master atelier in Athens, Greece and a smart New York showroom, the designer’s most recent innovation is a handmade silk shoe collection. Running the business side of the company is husband and Chief Operating Officer Stelios Makrogkikas. We caught up with the couple in early May, while they were thinking about the possible outcomes for a post-pandemic fashion industry, and got a peek inside their high-profile partnership.
Bridal Council: Tell us how you two met and hit it off.
Victoria: We met at a party through friends. It was a case of love at first sight! I was fond of his mind and spirit, his intelligence and his sophisticated humor. We also have common hobbies and we share the same love for music.
Stelios: Victoria has this sparkle in her eye that fills you with nice feelings and kindness immediately when you meet her.
BC:Stelios, can you tell us how you came to join forces with Victoria?
Stelios: I worked as an executive with an international swimwear brand when I met Victoria. She is a disciplined, persistent, and kind person who sticks to her vision. When I met Victoria, her ready-to-wear deluxe brand was already well known, growing, and the demand was becoming bigger.
I consulted with her on how to evolve into an haute couture brand. It made sense, since she had been focusing on quality and paying attention to detail from when she started in fashion. The change came very naturally to her. She comprehended and appreciated the delicate couture and handmade procedures. That’s the reason she decided to keep the production controlled, in-house in Athens, instead of outsourcing manufacturing to low labor markets abroad. Our partnership came effortlessly at that moment, and she was ready to go international.
BC: Do you find it difficult to separate your business and personal life?
Victoria: Multitasking and loving what we do are two ingredients that have been keeping us going strong for quite a few years now. We have two teenage daughters, and balance the time between business and personal life so it fits with our lifestyle. It’s hard to get bored with so many things going on at home and at work. We also try to get as much time off as we can when we can to recharge batteries and enjoy stress-free time together.
BC: What is the most valuable thing about being married to your business partner?
Victoria: Our interests are pure and we have the same goals! He doesn’t complain about my crazy schedule and he really takes care of me, especially during long periods of preparing new collections and fashion weeks.
Stelios: Common targets, genuine understanding, trust, and having each other’s back. Also working at the same job sometimes means we don’t see each other all day due to different projects needing to be taken care of separately.
BC: Is it hard for a man to work in a business with such a feminine point of view?
Stelios: Art has a feminine gender in the Greek language and plays a vital role in life. It's part of our soul and freedom. It feels easy for me to understand and decode an artist like Victoria. When doses of feminine viewpoints get overwhelming I take a few steps back and I let the expert take the lead.
Victoria: Steliosis an artistic person and a technocrat at the same time. He composes and produces music and videos as a hobby and also is great with science, computers, and technology. We have played many of his songs and remixes in the VKK fashion videos and shows! It’s way easier when your business partner shares the same love for art. He definitely understands my vision.
BC: What happens when you disagree about something? Do you have a method for reaching a compromise?
Victoria: When it comes to aesthetics he lets me be the decision maker after letting me know of his objections! I do the same when it comes to business.
BC: Does that mean that Stelios keeps a distance from the creative process?
Victoria: I am more than grateful to have Stelios by my side. He always brings creative ideas to the table, thinking outside the box.
Stelios: She loves to be challenged as a designer by testing something new and often difficult. She is a free-spirited designer!
Victoria: My main inspirations are music — a nice tune can make me grab my pencils and start sketching — and ancient Greek architecture. The sparkle of light on a sculpture or a temple and the elegance of its proportions can be really inspiring for every artist.
BC: What are the best and the most challenging aspects of working together?
Victoria: The best part is that we brainstorm almost about every step we make in our company. We love brainstorming together! The most difficult thing is when we disagree. We are both strong personalities. I have an artistic and romantic prospective of viewing things compared to the strategic logic that Stelios has. However, his innovative ideas and strategies are fascinating! I love learning new things from him.