Emotion-led designing
From choosing each day’s jeans to reading indigo philosophy, Christina Agtzidou’s deep love for denim is woven into all aspects of her day.
6.00am
Coffee is the first thing I do – otherwise there’s no performance! – as I go through Instagram and the news. On my balcony in the centre of Hamburg, I look at the beautiful view – the shapes of clouds are unbelievable! Finding jeans is an issue as I have many; today is a pair of raw selvedge jeans and a simple tank top.
8.00am
I’m on my way to Tom Tailor via the underground, excited for the coming meeting. Fixed accessory on me: headphones to listen to my music. I observe people on the train, look at posters on the walls, and enjoy the views of Hamburg.
8.30am
At the office, I clean my desk and check emails, answering as many as I can. Then I bring my materials into a big room for the concept meeting. The floor is full of jeans, fabrics, denim blankets. I’m a visual person; I need to see everything. I like to create emotions when I present my ideas. I’ll share innovations on sustainability, new technologies, all pre-discussed with relevant mills and partners. It’s important to come with a plan and answers to every question.
9.00am
Our meeting begins. I’m lucky to have a great team – we’re cheerful people and reach outcomes by having fun together. With flat hierarchies we sit on the floor, speaking about styles we wish to have, strategies, and allocation countries, and we plan our next collection. Making jeans is great and cool, so this doesn’t feel like work. We consider our customers’ needs, how Tom Tailor wants to present goods, and finalise qualities and treatments.
12.00pm
Back at my desk, I brief sourcing offices around the world and update the mills – eating a quick lunch in-between calls. My priority is giving mills and factories maximum time to prepare and develop. We have a new project coming that I’m excited about – a denim that will be sustainable while bringing great efficiency to Tom Tailor.
2.00pm
A break with colleagues for a coffee. I finalise details of my upcoming trip to visit the great Pakistani mills – spinning, weaving, and finishing. We’ll meet our factories and look at the production runs. I worked for many years in denim manufacturing, so I am happy to be in such an environment again.
4.00pm
Sustainability meeting with a special team of people from different fields (development, design, buying, and sourcing); we crosscheck the latest statuses of sustainability projects. We discuss fibres, pricing of cotton, goals and needs, and I give updates from my recent visit to Bluezone in Munich.
5.30pm
I head home, listening to music – evenings it’s ambient or piano pieces. At home, I talk to my mom in Greece and calm down with a small filter coffee.
6.30pm
Time for cooking. I like fresh meals and variety in vegetables, salads and meat, along with Greek feta cheese, olives and extra virgin olive oil. I enjoy my meal listening to the news and music.
10.00pm
I check Instagram and chat with friends, then grab a book. My books are oriented in indigo philosophy, inspirations from Japan or the early years of the last century, and I like the classic jeans and workwear of the 40s and 50s. To bring novelty for the future, we should learn from the past.
11.00pm
Time for bed. I prepare tomorrow’s outfit. Raw selvedge jeans from Japan, a white shirt. I’ll read poetry or quotes about life and human behaviour, to create emotions or put me into deeper thinking. I check tomorrow’s meetings, look at the view from my window, and fall asleep listening to Craig Armstrong.
Denimhead and indigo enthusiast Christina Agtzidou has been making jeans for 23 years, starting as a designer, pattern maker and merchandiser in Greece before taking on roles in Germany, Hong Kong and New York. She is now design manager for denim at the Tom Tailor brand, where she’s focused on design and development for the young female division plus special projects such as organising a denim library for the House.
Photos: Christina Agtzidou
