World-class and made in Piraeus
In age of mass production, Kydos is a family-run maker of bespoke neckties and pocket squares
It takes a special kind of man to wear a multi-fold Kydos necktie. Not because any particularly great dexterity or expertise is required – don’t expect groundbreaking, complicated knots. However, the brand represents a certain philosophy as well as aesthetic.
A rarity in both the local and global marketplace, the premium Greek brand is one of only a handful of companies worldwide creating 100 percent handsewn ties. This is “a step above handmade,” according to Paris, who oversees the family-owned venture from its base in the port city of Piraeus.
In this niche business, lightweight Kydos (meaning “awe-inspiring”) ties feature invisible seams, no interlining and are made from premium silks sourced from high-end producers in Como, Italy.
“We are addressing those men who, more than anything else, appreciate the art of making a tie. People who value craftsmanship,” notes Paris.
The key element here is the complete absence of any machinery. Scissors and needles are just about the only pieces of equipment on each production table. A staff of three produces two ties daily, with each necktie requiring about four hours of work. Each design is limited to 33 pieces; the reasoning behind this executive decision remains, for the time being, a family secret.
Kydos ties are produced according to the “elafria” (light) and “panalafri” (very light) construction concepts. Elafria silk ties feature eight folds and weigh between 44 and 65 grams, while Panalafri pieces feature four folds and weigh 30 to 35 grams – ideal for hot summer days.
This season, Kydos is unveiling novel fabric combinations, pairing silk with tweed, cotton or viscose. Signature jacquard-woven fabrics are also part of the winter line.
While the business was only launched in 2012, a tumultuous year in Greece’s ongoing economic crisis, the family’s savoir-faire can be traced back several generations. Paris’s great-grandfather was a tailor on the island of Samos who specialized in men’s suits. His daughter, Paris’s grandmother, focused on fabrics, while her daughters, including Paris’s mother, became experts in sewing.
Aside from the limited-edition necktie collections, Kydos also offers refined and bespoke hand-embroidered pocket squares. The predominantly black and white color palette was recently expanded with the addition of the Skyriana collection, which features motifs inspired by traditional embroideries from the island of Skyros that have been passed down through the family for generations.
“We started off with the ties, but then we realized that we wanted to combine them with pocket squares, for which we didn’t want to use leftovers from the ties. We felt it would be more elegant to use Egyptian cotton and French linen. Then we thought of giving them a Greek twist. It was a way to survive in terms of the competition, to say something different and give them an identity,” says Paris.
The Skyriana collection embraces traditional Skyros embroidery motifs such as stars, boats and mermaids. The pocket squares are printed in the silk-producing town of Soufli, in northeastern Greece, on locally produced fabric. They are subsequently hand-sewn by Kydos.
Meanwhile, the high-end Greek brand currently boasts an international online clientele stretching from New York to San Francisco and Canada, as well as a
in both the local and global marketplace, the premium Greek brand is one of only a handful of companies worldwide creating 100 percent handsewn ties (left). Below left: The Skyriana collection of pocket squares embraces traditional Skyros embroidery motifs such as stars, boats and mermaids. The pocket squares are printed in the silk-producing town of Soufli, in northeastern Greece, on locally produced fabric and are subsequently handsewn by Kydos. brick-and-mortar presence in Hanover, Germany. Back home, Kydos pieces are available at Papadogamvros in the northern Athenian suburb of Kifissia. “Greece is a tough market, but we are developing through word-of-mouth,” notes Paris. Neckties have also been sold in Brazil, Japan, Cyprus and Scandinavia.
“I feel that more and more people [in Greece] are going back to traditional values. There is a sense of security that comes with identity,” Paris says. * This article first appeared on Greece-is.com, a Kathimerini publishing initiative.