Matis: In women’s fashion, tradition bears a Greek signature
We met the founder of Matis, Mr. Georgios Stamatis, at the store of the Premiera shopping mall in Glyfada and discussed with him the challenges of clothes production in Greece, as well as this winter’s trends.
- 23/11/2022
When entering the Premiera shopping mall in Glyfada while on a trip to the stores, it is rather hard not to notice Matis’ shop window. And it is one of the brand’s many stores in Greece and Cyprus, a brand that is considered a milestone for the Greek clothing market, with a history that surpasses 45 years. We met the man who conceived it, Georgios Stamatis (whose last name gave Matis its name), and asked him to share more on the course of the company that “insists on choosing Greek” in all its stages of creation.
It all began when Matis started producing strictly upper-body wear in private facilities in Neo Faliro. This soon evolved into a complete collection that covered the full range of women’s apparel. Due to this development, the company had to move to two state-of-the-art privately owned buildings in Kallithea. The Glyfada store, which we visited to get a closer look at the new collection, first opened its doors in 2013 in the busiest part of the area, Angelou Metaxa Avenue, a street that has turned into the Mecca of fashion. The women from the southern suburbs are the best dressed and informed regarding modern trends.
“You could say that they are the most demanding audience just because they really know how to shine! The response we got from them was simply riveting! They immediately embraced our store and products and gave us a push to evolve and better ourselves. We learned a lot and continue to learn from them. But it’s not just that. Glyfada is a hot tourist spot, especially during the summer months. This is how we had the chance to approach the tourist market. Every year, we get to know new people and they get familiar with us as well. Seeing their response to our clothes, we decided to take our first steps abroad, which would have been much harder had we not had this prior knowledge. For us, the Glyfada store is one of the most important points of growth for our network. We love Glyfada and we definitely love its people even more”, says Mr. Stamatis.
The Matis Woman
The first question I think of asking Mr. Stamatis is about the Matis woman. Who is she, what does she like? “In short, she is contemporary and well-dressed. A woman who loves fashion, who is aware of the trends but knows what she wants and what she needs to make her strong points shine”, he explains. A look at one of Matis’ stores or online is all it takes to realize this. Matis’ designers focus on creating clothes for all occasions and moments of the day, which can be easily integrated into any outfit and represent the active woman that seeks elegance in all aspects of her life.
Fresh fashion trends, timeless elegance and contemporary design come together seamlessly, creating outfits that stand out for their premium materials and manufacturing.
“At first, an article of clothing is born through lots of love for creativity and innovation. The colors and fashion trends are always crucial. The textures, the fabrics, even the prints, they all affect as well as guide our final decisions. When creating a design, we always take into consideration that it should be easily matched with our other designs to create a full outfit that will elevate the woman wearing it”.
Fashion Made in Greece
Matis is a Greek clothing brand that continues to innovate with consistent and timeless product quality and modern design, in line with the needs of the contemporary woman. Both the design and the production of Matis’ clothing is a strictly Greek affair. From the first stages until the final stitch, Matis’ clothes bear the mark “Made in Greece”. I have often wondered how easy it is to manufacture clothing in Greece.
“I won’t start with the usual, that within the context of globalization, manufacturing in Greece is extremely hard… I’ll start with the positive aspect, that despite the adverse conditions, our country has managed to affirm Greek women’s apparel as a strong player both in Europe and on a global level. Greek clothing is now recognizable, known for its quality and, at the same time, it is affecting the current fashion trends.
On the other hand, the obstacles that every Greek clothes manufacturer must overcome are many and shared among many business sectors, I think. The high labor costs, the rarity of skilled and trained personnel, the lack of Greek raw materials and the extremely high cost of transport for our products are only some of the problems we have to face daily in our chain of production. Despite everything, manufacturers will always be the backbone of every country, because they can provide much-needed job opportunities, especially in a country as small as Greece. This, along with the satisfaction the final customer feels when they receive our products, gives us the strength to continue to overcome every obstacle that comes our way”.
A global brand
A main factor for a brand to become global is high product quality, as well as originality. In fashion, this translates to premium fabric quality and variety in patterns and designs. Which is what Matis is known for all around Greece.
“So, what does our brand need to become global? Brand recognition, of course. That is why our company decides to place its stores in touristic areas, like Glyfada, or looks for partners in prominent shopping centers and cities. We are also amidst the process of expanding our network of partners abroad, adding new faces to our existing network of partners in countries like Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and even the Czech Republic.
“In 2011, we created one of the first online clothing apparels that sold straight from the producer to the final customer. This way, our brand became well-known not only in Greece and regions where we had no stores, but also in every corner of the world. Our targeted online ads helped us get closer to women with whom, in the past, it would be impossible to get in contact. Of course, this doesn’t make us a global brand yet, but our efforts are constant and the results are rather encouraging”.
This year’s clothing trends
Synthetic leather is the hottest trend of this winter. It will be worn in tops, skirts, dresses, even jackets and coats. It will be everywhere, even in the form of a lining to highlight other fabrics and textures. Puffer jackets and bombers keep dominating the scene, but in military colors. Of course, this winter every woman’s wardrobe should be equipped with a fuzzy wool cardigan in a bold color. Who said winter can’t be colorful?
3 items that every woman should have in her wardrobe this winter:
- The suit is no longer a trademark reserved only for men, but it is now worn by the contemporary Greek women who know how to manage and shine in positions that were previously considered “a man’s job”. Always in style and elegance. These women will appreciate Matis’ selection. From classic solid color suits to checked, pied-de-poule and other suits in original prints. Whatever they choose, the statement will surely be this: I am here, I know what I want, how I will get it and I’ll do it all in style.
- Dresses… Every woman’s favorite fetish. Designs galore in many patterns and colors. Cut out details or not, they will definitely highlight every woman’s body type and turn heads.
- Co-ord sets. Have you always been a fan or did you recently convert? Whatever the case, the belong in everyone’s wardrobe. The can be mixed together in so many ways and can save the day in various circumstances, making your outfit appropriate for all hours of the day. You just add or remove a piece of the set depending on your mood or your needs. The Matis team has dedicated a large part of the collection to these versatile items, to please all tastes, no matter how exquisite.
The Matis Vision
I said my goodbyes to Mr. Stamatis with a crucial question that almost always indicates the future of a brand. “Our vision is to always be in the heat of fashion”. To always be able to design quality products that make the contemporary woman shine. Matis admires women and is loved by them. We are always working and striving not to betray their love for us”, he says.