The Wet Look

Dimitra Petsa, The Greek Designer Behind The Di Petsa Brand, Is All About Crafting One-ofa-kind Garments That Speak Of Self-love, Female Empowerment And Actual Body Representation

- JAMIE LEE

Let’s make one thing clear: pop culture has never been kind to female bodies. When Kim Kardashian wore transparent heels while pregnant with North West, she was made fun of for having “balloon feet”. At the Valentino Couture FW’22 show last October, actress Florence Pugh turned up in a sheer pink gown that exposed her chest and was body-shamed for having small breasts. When Twice’s Jeongyeon gained weight due to medications she was taking for health issues, the girl group idol was immediately criticised. During the recent FW’23, the models cast all seemed to revert to the stick-thin stereotype, leading to widespread commentary by fashion insiders on the lack of body diversity on the runway as compared to previous seasons.

For bigger brands, the struggle between wanting to represent actual women’s bodies on and off the runway versus appealing to a traditional high fashion aesthetic is real. But for 28-year-old Dimitra Petsa, the founder and creative director of Di Petsa, the issue goes beyond mere representation — it is about creating clothes for every kind of woman, and every type of body.