At the end of April 2026, I did a Masterclass on Greek folk design. It was a full hour and a half of me presenting a comprehensive introduction of Greek folk motifs and how they can be used in contemporary design.
And at the end, we had time for questions and I have to say I received a number of very interesting ones.
An inspiring question
But, one of them really stayed me and I have been thinking about it ever since. It was a question about the negative connotation the word "folklore" has in Greek and how I navigate that though my work.
That question took me right back to the beginning of building my brand.
At the time, I was debating what terminology to use to present my work to the word, precisely because of this issue.
In Greek, the most appropriate word to use is "tradition" and "traditional". "Folklore" is used for lower quality, touristic imitations of traditional customs and design. But, in English, "traditional" felt old and dated, with little room for innovation or contemporary design.
And at the same time "folklore" and "folk" are already used to describe other modern interpretations of traditional styles, like for example Scandi Folk.
This decision weighed on me for a while, as I was shaping how I wanted my brand to be perceived and experienced.
Making a choice
In the end, I chose to use "folklore", knowing it might risk alienating native Greek speakers, because I want to place my brand within an international design conversation.
I thought... if "folklore" is the right word in English, then perhaps part of my role is to help shift its meaning in Greece.
So receiving this question last week felt especially meaningful.
Almost a full circle moment... it confirmed that I have made the right decision all those years ago.
And even though I'm still a long way from reshaping the meaning of the word in Greek, I know that I am actively contributing to expanding it.
I would love to know what you think about this. To share your thoughts with me, drop me an email.
