Meraki, and the Mythic Craft of Begrims
Time stretches as the cicadas sing through the stillness. Women work side by side, passing threads as if weaving a spell. Between them flows a tapestry of conversation: old stories, small truths, shared laughter. This is the world of Begrims.
From The Fate '25 Collection by Begrims. Photo by @alegi__ / @crkd.studio
At first glance, a Begrims garment may seem effortless - loose folds, soft textures - but its story runs deep beneath the surface. Each creation carries the imprint of hands etched with skill, the wisdom of forgotten rituals, and the creative energy of women working with meraki - that untranslatable Greek word meaning to pour one’s soul into the work.
The new 2025 Fate Collection is a series of garments rooted in research and reverence. Each piece emerges from a deep exploration of Greece’s cultural landscape: lost customs, whispered superstitions, ancestral instincts, and the invisible threads that bind one life to the next.
Blue Waters Handwoven Vest and Mermaid Tale Pants. Photo by @danaegrim
This collection is brought to life in the mountain village of Apeiranthos on the island of Naxos - a place where stone houses sit like ancient teeth in the hills, and stories are carried along on the warm wind with the scent of the local mountain herbs. Here, Begrims collaborates closely with a community of women artisans who preserve the precious skills of hand-weaving, embroidery, and natural dyeing. These techniques run deep, kept alive stitch by stitch - part of a local, sacred knowledge passed down through generations.
Embroidering in the studio. Photo by Panagiotis Tsetsekos.
Each garment is infused with this collective energy - with care, intention, and the joy of making in harmony. This is not a production line but a circle: of hands, hearts, and shared time. Together, these women bring forth a collection inspired by the whispers of the Aegean Sea. Begrims reconnects us with what clothing once was: not fast, not fleeting, but deeply human. These are talismans, alive with history. And yet, there is nothing nostalgic or stuck in the past here. These are contemporary clothes - fluid, thoughtful, and alive - shaped by tradition but speaking clearly to the present.
Portrait of Danae Grimopoulou, founder of Begrims. Photo by @max_xaver
Founder, Danae, is not only an artisan herself but a storyteller, a guardian, and a companion in this art of remembrance. Her tapestry of conversation is the soul of Begrims. Each piece she creates is a new chapter in a larger tale - one of resilience, joy, quiet power, and enduring craft.
In a world that urges us to move and consume quickly, Begrims offers a gentler rhythm. A reminder of the sacred in the everyday, the beauty in the useful, and the richness of clothing made not just for us, but with us - with heart, with heritage, with meraki.
Embroidered floral shirt by Begrims.
You can read more about Begrims in Issue 125: Mediterranean, where you’ll also find details of a prize draw to win a hand-embroidered shirt from Begrims. Enter here for your chance to win.
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Further Information:
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Image Credits:
LEAD: Begrims clothing. Photo by Alexandros Giannakakis
All other images as credited in photo captions.