Messolonghi is a town located in the Prefecture of Aetolia & Akarnania of central-western Greece.  Surrounded by sea stands as an island in the middle of a lagoon and is consolidated with the rest regional unit by a terrestrial lane.  The city that was utterly loved by the famous British poet and philhellene Lord Byron, also known as Iera Polis Messolonghiou (Sacred City of Messolonghi), it is worldwide admired and esteemed for the historical dramatic incidents during the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman Empire.  Messolonghi’s inhabitants successfully resisted two sieges by Ottoman forces in 1822 and 1824. The third siege started on April 15, 1825 and lasted a year before the starving and devastated people decided to leave the beleaguered city in the night on April 10, 1826 accomplishing the “Exodus of its Guards” (The Sortie).  10,500 citizens, 3,500 of whom were armed, heroically faced 40,000 Ottomans and Egyptians, coming straight on the enemy’s sharp swords sacrificing their lives over their beliefs on independence.

Eleni Staikou was a 20 year-old woman at that time.  That tragic night, she wore the handcrafted by herself bridal-to-be vest and followed the chieftains’ guidelines to what was considered to be “a dignified end”.  It is acknowledged that she got blinded to both of her eyes, never got married and died approximately 15 years later.  Her family ever since, honored her by naming, every second girl was born, Eleni after her.  The sacred heirloom passed through the generations and is now safe in the cultural society called “Diexodos” (www.diexodos.com.gr) donated by her descendants.

The stirring story of Messolonghi, Eleni Staikou and the exquisite vest that is exhibited on the Sacred City’s wrecked wall’s leftovers, every year on the annual celebrations that honor the victims of “Exodus”, have inspired us for our first collection.  After having carefully and respectfully studied the Messolonghi’s costumes and the vest, we proudly introduce you to Armonia.

At this point we would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts, the people who contributed to our first collection’s photo shooting: