A visit to Julia’s Astreou Christoforou Atelier In the context of the Leonardo da Vinci program “Fashion with traditional aspects”, students of Fashion

A visit to Julia’s Astreou ChristoforouAtelier

In the context of the Leonardo da Vinci program “Fashion with traditional aspects”, students of Fashion department of Larnaca Technical school visitedJulia’s Astreou Atelier in Nicosia.

Julia was the textiles advisor for two films on traditional Cypriot weaving and Lefkara lace (“Weaving Ladies of Cyprus” [2008] and “Lefkara Lace” [2012]). Her enthusiasm for traditional Cypriot textiles led to the creation of the Cyprus Textile Route website and booklet, created in cooperation with the European Textile Network

• Julia Astreou Christoforou is a textile designer (specializing in woven textiles), artist and researcher based in Nicosia. She previously worked at the Cyprus Handicraft Service for 21 years and has done extensive research on Cypriot textiles

Julia's workspace and showroom is based in a 19th century house - a fine example of traditional local architecture, which has been in the family for six generations.

A visit to Julia’s Astreou Christoforou Atelier



Some of the characteristics of the building are linked to the biographies of its previous occupants. A few of these occupants were dominant local figures, construction builders, experienced weavers, embroiderers and dressmakers.




Handwoven textiles are transformed by Julia into quality clothing and accessories such as lampshades, shawls, cushion covers and handbags.




Julia creates contemporary woven textileson her four traditional Cypriot looms.


Despite the fact that hand weaving is a long and laborious process, it allows for interesting ways to interact with the materials.


Julia welcomes weaving enthusiasts to her workshopto learn hand weaving and in so doing helps keep this ancient craft alive.


She offers traditional weaving lessons yet also encourages students to experiment with their own designs.

The workshop, with its four traditional looms (all from different areas of the island) and its range of old and contemporary

fabrics, is a showroom of Cypriot textile heritage.





See more about here and her work herehttp://juliastreou.tumblr.com/

Julia's online shop can be found on https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuliaAstreou?ref=si_shop

http://juliastreou.tumblr.com/



https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuliaAstreou?ref=si_shop



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A visit to Julia’s Astreou Christoforou Atelier In the context of the Leonardo da Vinci program “Fashion with traditional aspects”, students of Fashion