ABOUT

Portrait by Panos Davios ©

FILEP MOTWARY
Editor-at-Large at Vogue Greece |
Independent Fashion Curator | Author & Fashion Critic | Film Director & Photographer

 

Filep Motwary (born 1977, Cyprus) is a prominent fashion critic, curator, photographer, and author, widely recognized for his expertise in European fashion and emerging designers. Since 2018, he has served as Editor-at-Large for Vogue Greece, with his interviews and stories frequently syndicated by other publications under the Conde Nast umbrella.

For nearly 14 years, Motwary was the Editor-at-Large of Dapper Dan Magazine, a collaboration that began just before 2010 and continued until May 2023. Throughout his career, he has become a trusted mentor to young creatives, often invited to participate as a jury member in prestigious competitions.

Motwary has curated a number of significant exhibitions, including SYNERGY: Art into Fashion, which was showcased at the A.G. Leventis Gallery in Nicosia from April to August 2022. He also curated “Haute-à-Porter” at the Modemuseum Hasselt in 2016, an exhibition that explores the relationship between prêt-à-porter and haute couture. The accompanying publication, also titled “Haute-à-Porter” (Lannoo, distributed by Rizzoli), became a best-seller, with the exhibition drawing thousands of visitors and earning recognition from Forbes as one of the top three exhibitions of the year.

In 2019, Motwary released his second book, “Theorem[a]: The Body, Emotion + Politics in Fashion” (Skira), a collaboration with Polimoda University in Florence. The book features in-depth interviews with iconic figures such as Hussein Chalayan, Jean Paul Gaultier, Pamela Golbin, Iris van Herpen, Harold Koda, Michèle Lamy, and many others.

A passionate advocate for both fashion and the arts, Motwary also directs and creates costumes for high-profile plays, music videos, and films. Notably, he directed and produced two music videos by Freedom Candlemaker: “I am Love” (2021) and “Astral Body” (2019), the latter of which is currently streaming on Netflix.

His costumes have been exhibited in prestigious institutions including the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Saint-Brieuc (Brittany, France), Centraal Museum (Utrecht, Netherlands), Benaki Museum (Athens, Greece), Byron Museum (Cyprus), and La Gaîté Lyrique (Paris, France).

Motwary is a visiting lecturer at several prestigious institutions, including Polimoda University in Florence, Italy and UCLan University in Pyla, Cyprus, where he specializes in curating fashion and art direction. Through his teaching, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of creative professionals.

Between 2005 and 2025, Motwary conducted over 600 interviews with key figures from the worlds of fashion and art. From 2011 to 2015, he worked closely with Jean Pierre Blanc on the Hyères Festival, solidifying his reputation as a prominent force in the global fashion industry.

He is also the founder of the highly regarded fashion blog Un nouVeau iDEAL (2005-2015), which was featured in The World’s Top Fashion Blogs by William Oliver and Susie Bubble (PRESTEL, 2011). The blog earned two international awards during its active years.

Between 2000 and 2009, Motwary, alongside jewelry designer Maria Mastori, created collections focused on womenswear, many of which have since been acquired by museums and private collectors.

In October 2017, Motwary was invited by the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture to present a lecture on his career highlights to students at the First Technical Lyceum in Nicosia. He was also invited to lead a two-day workshop at the same institution in November 2017 as part of the EU-supported ACT (ΔΡΑΣΕ) project. The workshop, which focused on the differences and similarities between haute couture and prêt-à-porter in contemporary fashion, engaged students aged 14-17.

For Modemuseum Hasselt’s 2017 exhibition ACROSS JAPAN, Motwary was responsible for selecting participant garments and artwork, conducting research, and creating the visuals that were presented at the exhibition, which opened on March 4, 2017.

In 2012, Motwary was invited by Linda Loppa to take part in a series of video interviews on the themes of Fetish, Monsters, and Bridges. He also conducted additional phone interviews with notable figures such as Rick Owens, Tim Blanks, Bruce Pask, Christian Lacroix, Robin Schulie, Etienne Russo, Humberto Leon (Kenzo), and Marlo Saalmink. Some of these conversations were later published in Momenting the Memento by Danilo Venturi (2014).

He is the writer, producer, art-director and director of #craftingcyprus – a series of short films, commisioned by the  Cyprus Handicraft Service and the Cyprus Press and Information Office. The first six episodes were showcased at the Révélations Biennial of Crafts at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

In November 2023, Motwary was invited by the World Crafts Council and Artesania Catalunya to present his short film “Basketweaving” at the 5th Exhibition of Craft Films at the Design Museum in Barcelona. The screening was supported by the Cyprus Press and Information Office, the Deputy Ministry of Culture, and the Cyprus Handicraft Service.

On 18 December 2025, the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Cyprus Press and Information Office are hosted the official premiere of #craftingcyprus – 8 episodes in total, at PALLAS Theatre in Nicosia.                In February 2026 , Motwary presented #craftingcyprus by invitation of Alexander’s College in Larnaca, through a seminar titled Heritage & Fashion. On April 18, 2026 #craftingcyprus was screned in Athens during the Hellenic Craft Series conference.

On November 8, 2022, Motwary hosted an intimate on-stage interview with Balmain’s then creative director,Olivier Rousteing at the Athens Music Hall as part of Change Makers – Fashion: The Road Ahead, a major conference, organized by Vogue Greece that drew an audience of 3,000 attendees. On November 5, 2024, Motwary hosted two very intimate on-stage interviews with Marisa Berenson and Iris Van Herpen again at the Athens Music Hall as part of Change Makers – by Vogue Greece that drew an audience of 3,000 attendees.

During the same month he art-directed the perforance An Army Of Women by Maria Neoptolemou at the Cyprus Museum, under the aegis of the Cyprus Debuty Ministry of Culture, the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, organized by the Cyprus Red Cross Society ( Nicosia Branch).

In June 2026, the performance “An Army of Women” was repeated by invitation of Nicos & Myrna Pattichis and under the aegis of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, organized by Cyprus Red Cross Society ( Limassol Branch) in Pyrga. The garments inspired a dialogue between fashion and art at the CYCO (The Cyprus Contemporary Art Museum)

 


INTERVIEWS 2005 – 2026

ALAINPAUL, Alexander Fury, Alexander McQueen, Andrew Bolton, Antonio Mancinelli, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Bruno Sialelli at Lanvin, Camille Miceli, Carla Sozzani, Christian Lacroix, Christophe Lemaire, Colin McDowell, Daisy Collingridje, Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli, Daniela Busarello, Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga, Donatella Versace, Dries Van Noten, Erdem, Farida Khelfa, Gabriel Orozco, Gareth Pugh, Germanier, Giambattista Valli, Giorgio Armani, Glenn Martens, Haider Ackermann, HARRI, Hans Feurer, Harold Koda, Harry Peccinotti, Helmut Lang, Iris Van Herpen, Issey Miyake, Jacquemus, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jonathan Anderson, Juergen Teller, Julien D’Ys, June Newton aka Alice Springs, Jun Takahashi, Katerina Jebb, Kim Jones at Fendi, Lacoste’s Pelagia Kolotouros, Lanvin & Peter Copping, Lanvin’s Lucas Ossendrijver, Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Lorenzo Serani at Alberta Ferretti, Luke and Lucie Mier from Jil Sander, Marco De Vincenzo at ETRO, Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior, Marine Serre, Marisa Berenson, Marni’s Francesco Risso, Mats Gustafson, Michael Borremans, Michele Lamy, Miguel Castro Freitas, Molly Goddard, Moschino’s Adrian Appiolaza, Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni, Nick Knight, Nicolas De Felice, Nicole Phelps, Olivier Rousteing, Olivier Theyskens, Ottolinger, Pamela Golbin, Paolo Roversi, Peter Lindbergh, Pierre Hardy, Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, Pucci & Camille Miceli, Rick Owens, Rochas’ Alessandro Vigilante, Sacai/Chitose Abe, Sandy Powell, Sebastien Meunier, Shirin Neshat, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney, Stephen Jones, Terence Koh, Thom Browne, Thomas Houseago, Uma Wang, Valerie Steele, Vetements’ Guran Gvasalia, Vivienne Westwood, Viktor & Rolf, Yohji Yamamoto, Yuima Nakazato, Zandra Rhodes, ZOMER.

EXHIBITIONS & OTHER PROJECTS

as FASHION CURATOR OR/AND PUBLISHED AUTHOR

 

as FILM DIRECTOR

 

as FILM FESTIVAL CURATOR

 

as Co-CURATOR

  • MODEMUSEUM HASSELT, ACROSS JAPAN, Hasselt March 2017 (research & selections of garments and visuals presented).

 

as COSTUME DESIGNER | EXHIBITIONS & PERFORMANCES

 

as EXHIBITED ARTIST

 

as JURY member

 

as QUEST SPEAKER

 

OTHER PROJECTS

 

as MODERATOR