Tomy K.

Meet exuberant designer Tomy K. who aims to brighten up your home with creations that are a postcard from Greece.

Discovery

Designer Tomy K., otherwise known as Tomy Karaiskos, was one of my first discoveries at the Greek Brand New exhibition when I visited in 2018. In 2012 he founded his self described «one man show business», Tomy K., in the northern Athenian suburb of Chalandri.

Tomy is a passionate graphic and fashion designer, whose aim is to make the world a brighter place by creating something that is reminiscent of Greece, without falling into the trap of appearing kitsch. He envisages his brand as international and destined for the shelves of the biggest interior design stores. So far he has exported to Germany, Israel, Australia, Kuwait, Cyprus and the United States.

Tomy K.’s range is extensive and includes cushions, lamp shades, notebooks, posters, pouches and t-shirts for women. All his prints stand out owing to their energizing design and colourful motifs.

Tomy K.’s range is extensive and includes cushions, lamp shades, notebooks, posters, pouches and t-shirts for women. All his prints stand out owing to their energizing design and colourful motifs.

For our store, we have chosen his crisply designed cotton placemats and the notebooks, printed and manufactured in Greece. He also makes candles and diffusers which are generous in fragrance and compact in size.

He designs either by hand or on his computer and then works with a number of personally selected Athenian printers who share his passion for excellence. He wants the final products to be perfect as he considers them independent works of art. As soon as he approves the initial sample, he then moves forward with production.

He also loves painting with water colours and always personally selects the aromas for his ceramic candles.

Memory

Tomy influenced by his mother, who was a fashion design graduate from the Veloudakis school of Athens, had painted from a young age.

He studied graphic design in Athens, worked at various ateliers and then moved on to advertising, where he worked as an art director. He started his own graphic design practice in 2007.

His love for printing on textiles began in 2011, when he took part in a Ralph Lauren Polo Jeans’ competition and was chosen along with 15 artists from around the world to create a star measuring 1.5 meters called an ArtStar.

His love for printing on textiles began in 2011, when he took part in a Ralph Lauren Polo Jeans’ competition and was chosen along with 15 artists from around the world to create a star measuring 1.5 meters called an ArtStar.

He made his star using a number of different materials such as textiles and paper and the technique of collage.

In 2012, inspired by his insatiable need to create and his love for interior design, he founded Tomy K.

He began experimenting with creating paper frames. As time went on, he felt more creative and his brand gained popularity in the Greek market. He branched as to create notebooks, cushions, posters and various other objects, printing on textiles or paper.

Narration

Tomy is inspired by his trips around Greece and by everyday moments, like the way leaves move and create shadows on the ground.

His space is very rarely tidy and when he’s in a creative mood, he lives in a chaos that only he can understand. He loves the creative process and is not phased by unexpected events or difficulties with his colleagues.

This year he made his first foray into fashion by designing dresses and beach bags, soon to be followed by swimwear for men.