The Central Saint Martins graduate has been making waves in the fashion world with her ongoing ‘Wetness’ project. She recently performed her piece ‘The Water Broke’ in Paris, where she explored ideas around rebirth and maternal water. The designer has a deep connection to her Greek heritage and continues to deconstruct feelings around shame and the female body. “What I do is present how I navigate this in my own life and for me freely chosen vulnerability was a bit part of it.”

When did your ideas around ‘wetness’ start to form?
I have been working with bodily fluids from my BA Performance Design and Practice years. I can’t really pinpoint it, for me bodily fluids is something very closely related with the human experience and the female experience. Wetness is a particular view point from that long term research which looks at shame and the idea that our bodily fluids the fact that we aware wet that we come from water is something to be censored and that in turn makes us disconnect from ourselves others and the environment.

Tell us more about your recent performance ‘The Water Broke’?
It was at Balice Hertling and I had an amazing team and performers. I think it is the best performance I have done so far under the Wetness project. It was curated by Bouquet Magazine styled by Juan Corrales, casting by Jane King exhibition text by Gabriella Pounds Nail art by Sylvie Macmillan sound art by A Portal to Jump Through and performers Harper Andria , Li-yun Hu , Bella Baguena, Wanda Araujo. The whole performance was very deep for me. I don’t know how to briefly explain it yet but theme was rebirth and the maternal water.

How has your upbringing in Greece influenced the way in which you create work?
My home is next to a harbour, so I was always very connected to the sea also Greek culture and craftsmanship of traditional art is very inspiring to me.

How has performance guided your design process?
My design process is mainly performances I devise based on a research and a concept I would like to explore. I am very experience based I come up with ideas much better when I move and feel things. I also write and read a lot, the purely visual references come at a later stage for me usually when I design a collection.

The female gaze is a constant in your work, why is this?
I am a woman and a designer I think you can’t not have the female gaze be part of your work even if you don’t actively think about it.

How do you think women can begin to reclaim their power and sexuality?
I think that’s something deeply personal to each woman and human in general. What I do is present how I navigate this is my own life and for me freely chosen vulnerability was a bit part of it. Deconstructing what made me feel shame as well was very important and I am still doing that.

What can we expect to see from Di Petsa in the future?
I have a couple big projects coming up in the next few months. My website is launching next week where I will sell a few select pieces made to order as well as the jewellery made in collaboration with Hag Stone