Profile: Maria Catarina Touloupis – Real Leather Design Competitions

Maria Catarina Touloupis

Drexel University

My name is Maria Catarina Touloupis. I am a recent graduate from Drexel University with a bachelors in fashion design, from Birmingham, Alabama. My heritage -- part Greek, part Bahamian -- has instilled in me an appreciation for the richness of tradition, culture, and family, elements that are woven into every piece I create. Art has always been my preferred form of self-expression. However, it wasn't until I was 15 that I discovered fashion's profound role in my life. That discovery came when my grandmother, a talented seamstress, sat me down to teach me how to sew. My other grandmother shared this craft as well, and while fashion was in my blood, it took time and reflection to truly appreciate its significance. After my grandmother’s passing, I understood that fashion was not just a skill — it was a legacy, a piece of my identity that needed to be nurtured and preserved. There comes a moment, often after a tradition fades or an opportunity slips away, when we genuinely recognize its value. For me, fashion became a bridge to the past, a way to honor my grandmothers' artistry and ensure that the techniques and cultural narratives they passed down would not be forgotten. Growing up, I also found inspiration in another art form — film. Watching movies with my brother, now a screenwriter, became a ritual that sparked my imagination. The costumes, often rooted in history, brought characters and entire worlds to life. This theatricality and world-building became the foundation of my love for fashion. Just as a costume can breathe life into a character, fashion allows me to create narratives, express identities, and explore entire worlds through design. My ultimate goal is to reimagine and revitalize traditional techniques and cultural craftsmanship before they are lost to time. Through my work, I aim to fuse these rich traditions with the same theatricality and character-driven storytelling that inspires me in film. Fashion is more than fabric; it’s a stage, a canvas, a legacy — a way to keep stories alive.

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Kéntima Jacket

Category: Apparel

Competitions: International

The Kéntima jacket was the jumping off point for my senior collection, Kéntima. The inspiration for the garment came after I found my grandmother's 50 year old book of traditional Greek embroidery patterns for cross stitching. I was inspired to give these traditional patterns for a dying craft a new purpose, after taking them for granted all my life. I translated those motifs into digital patterns, and burned them into the surface of the leather. Growing up in a greek household reusing and repurposing were instilled in me from a young age which is reflected in my use of only deadstock and damaged leather. My hope is that by engraving the leather it reflects a similar idea of permanence as heritage engraved in humans. For this jacket I chose to translate the last embroidery pattern my grandmother was working on before she passed away, unfortunately parts of it were unfinished which I wanted to reflect in the sparsity and placement of the motifs on the jacket. The silhouette of the jacket is reflective of the traditional Greek Folk dress I used to wear while performing traditional dances. I also wanted to reflect the feeling of strength and confidence I had while wearing so many layers, it was almost like armor. My hope was to create a piece that showed the strength and value of tradition so that future generations understand the importance of carrying these crafts forward so they are not lost to history books or archives.