Margo is joined by designer and storyteller Ariadne Kritonos, whose work brings centuries-old Greek folk motifs into contemporary life. Drawing inspiration from historic embroideries, textiles, and museum archives, Ariadne shares how studying the creative traditions of the past has shaped her approach to design, color, and inspiration today. Together, they explore the hidden stories embedded in traditional folk art, the value of looking beyond digital culture for creative inspiration, and what we can learn from the women whose stitches carried meaning across generations.
Margo and Ariadne discuss:
- How Greek folk embroidery became the bridge between Ariadne’s love of art, design, and cultural heritage
- The hidden symbolism and storytelling woven into traditional textile motifs
- Why researching archives, museums, and historic objects offers a different kind of inspiration than online algorithms
- The remarkable women behind these textiles and what their work reveals about creativity, community, and everyday life
- What traditional embroidery can teach us about imperfection, resourcefulness, and finishing our work
- The bold use of color in historic Greek textiles and why modern creatives should be less afraid to experiment
- How Ariadne is reimagining centuries-old motifs through contemporary design and wearable art
- Why preserving cultural traditions isn’t about nostalgia, but about creating meaningful connections between past and present
Connect with Ariadne:
Website: https://ariadnekritonos.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariadnekritonos/
Newsletter: https://ariadnekritonos.com/newsletter-sign-up
Who’s Inspiring Ariadne:
“You got me thinking about all sorts of different artists, and I decided that someone who has always been like, has been inspiring me for a very long time is Catalina Estrada. She’s a Colombian artist, and her use of color is fantastic. Like, if anybody wants to study color. The way that she is using color is just a masterclass on bravery, on boldness, on having fun with it. So she’s definitely somebody to look out for for.”
