The exhibition WHAT YOU WEAR IS WHAT YOU ARE, brings together leading Greek and international artists and designers in a compelling exploration of fashion as identity, expression, and cultural force. First presented at the Contemporary Art Museum of Crete in Rethymno last year the exhibition opens in March 2026 at the Benaki Museum, Pireos Street.

A central highlight is a special homage to the late Sophia Kokosalaki, the acclaimed designer from Rethymno whose international career left a lasting imprint on global fashion. Her visionary approach continues to inspire new generations of creatives.

Curated by Maria Maragkou, Maria Panagides, and Stavros Kavalaris, the exhibition highlights the reciprocal relationship between fashion and the social challenges of our time. Contemporary art becomes the lens through which fashion is questioned, reshaped, and redefined.

From antiquity to the present, clothing has functioned not only as protection but as a powerful social and cultural signifier. Today, it stands as a primary marker of identity and status. In the 21st century, contemporary art disrupts the conventional and the stagnant, merging materials and urgent themes to forge a renewed sense of authenticity. The underground emerges as a new modernité; camp is reimagined; luxury is liberated from elitism.

Featuring works by 32 artists and designers, the exhibition draws from museum collections, private collections, galleries, and the artists themselves, offering a bold reflection on fashion as living art and contemporary statement.

Participating artists and designers include | Eleonora Antoniadou, Dimitrios Antonitsis, Eugenia Apostolou, Vanessa Beecroft, BlindAdam, Yannis Bournias, Hussein Chalayan, Nikos Charalambidis, Dimitris Davis, Christos Delidimos, Bill Georgoussis, René Habermacher, Pantelis Handris, Rebecca Horn, Travis Hutchison, Anestis Ioannou, Lefteris Kanakakis, Yael Kanarek, Kapurani Bros, Marianna Kavallieratou, Sophia Kokosalaki, Elli Komninou-Nenedaki, Sophia Kosmaoglou, Alice Palaska, Aggelos Papadimitriou, Maria Papadimitriou, Yannis Siskos, Christiana Soulou, Efi Spyrou, Versaweiss, Adonis Volanakis, Stamatis Zannos.

The exhibition is supported by NEON through its annual Grants Programme.