Petra Karastatira is the Founder and lead Haute Couture Designer of Atelier Calliste. She was born and educated in Greece and lives the past 7 years in Switzerland with her husband and two kids, where her international atelier is based to. Petra was always a creative soul, loving visual storytelling, fine arts, music and dance. She was always known for her unlimited creative imagination, her ability to "read" the hidden symbols behind words and pictures with a unique ability to turn dreams into action! Petra is characterized by a passionate unstoppable spirit, resilience and empathy for women seeing them as sister souls that deserve equal opportunities without compromises and limitations to happiness and freedom.

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Petra usually says that she has lived 2 lives! In her 1st life she grew in the corporate world after Bachelor and MBA studies in Business and Marketing and gained a very rich 17 years international experience in Greece, South Eastern Europe and Switzerland building brands in P&G, the biggest FMCG multinational company globally. In parallel with her work,  she never forgot art and continued upskilling herself in Fashion Design, Haute Couture, Textile Design, Jewelry sculpturing, Luxury Management. This passion pulled her slowly to her 2nd life when she had her 2nd child, reconsidering her priorities and her dreams, growing as a fashion designer, online entrepreneur and mentor for new fashion designers to help them thrive with her business background, supporting slow fashion, designing contemporary boho and vintage bridal dresses inspired from the woman in her greatest moment - giving her the dream she deserves effortlesly!

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Atelier Calliste is inspired from the most beautiful nymph in the Greek Mythology Calliste, said to hide in Santorini breathtaking island. The volcanic island is a top destination for brides and an inspiration for Petra, due to her mother's origins. Atelier Calliste is a creative, diverse, inclusive and empathetic atelier. Its approach is not the typical designer's approach where the designer inspiration is usually the only thing that matters. Petra does not like compromises and especially to the most unique life moments. Thus she seeks to offer Ethereal Collections and Bespoke Creations embracing any Size, Design, Fabric,  Budget at every Area in the world... making one of a kind handcrafted pieces or art and love globally... making Calliste Brides!  We also apply different haute couture and fine art techniques on fabric like crochetting, embelishments, dying, fabric manipulations, fine art and jewelry making decorations for really one of a kind handcrafted pieces... visualising Calliste Brides!

 

We are a team of 3 designers and 9 tailors with different tailoring skills. We have a love for textures and fabrics! Living and Breathing the "no compromises" philosophy we respect the environment adapting a zero fabric waste principle and a slow fashion philosophy. We support and collaborate with other designers, artists and handcrafting communities to complete the bridal look. Finally, we educate and mentor designers to find their unique artistic voice, nurture their talent and better promote their work to live out of their talent and avoid compromising on a draining  job.

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Every connect with a "bride to be" is an experience for us, a unique way to start building a new storytelling through the dress creation, a way to be part of your happiness... of your new life as an evolving woman! If you hate compromises and you feel you deserve the best for your big day and for everyday... meet us!