For as long as she could remember, 22-year-old Greek-Australian Angie Xyla wanted to design clothes.

At the age of six she filled up a whole drawing pad with sketches of modern garments.

Her path was almost inevitable, studying fashion design at the University of Technology Sydney, graduating last year.

In amongst her studies, Angie worked in fashion related fields and began setting up her own business online.

Her passion, drive and qualifications propelled her into her own brand, AX – Angie Xylas.

The collection caught the eye of British Vogue Photo: Supplied

Angie got in touch with suppliers and factories in Greece, which helped her launch her ENA line in January.

The collection features a range of swimwear and summer dressed, paired with accessories and shoes by two other Greek designers.

The first trip she took to Greece when she was 12 with her grandparents would plant the seed that would grow into the new collection.

Angie admits to Neos Kosmos that until that moment, she was far from connected to her Greek heritage.

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“I feel that I did not really understand what my Greek origin meant and I did not appreciate the language or the traditions and the music. This journey, however, completely changed my outlook and filled me with pride in my culture. So I started listening to Greek music and watching Greek fashion trends on Instagram,” says Angie.

In 2017 the young designer returned from Greece bringing with her summer bags and shoes that proved very popular in Australia.

“The idea came to me to get in contact with one of the accessories manufacturers in Greece. Then came the swimsuits to complete the series I called the “Greek summer experience”, with the carefree essence of the beach, the bars and bouzoukia and the lifestyle in general,” says the young businesswoman.

One of the pieces in the “ENA” collection Photo: Supplied

Her first collection for summer 2020 gained traction from the first month of its release.

Several pieces were used in advertising campaigns by Havaianas AU and Bailey Nelson.

The ENA collection is influenced by places, people and memories that she holds in her heart, with each piece having its own story, giving every woman a chance to express what she is looking for.

“I want my clothes to make my clients feel like every day is a holiday,” says Angie, who is already preparing her next collection of dresses for winter and spring.

For Angie, everything revolves around Greece and her family, honouring her roots through her company logo.

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“When my grandfather died, I looked at some old photos with my grandmother, and his passport and his old Greek identity card fell into my hands.

I noticed how well written his name was and took a picture of him. I forgot about it but few months later I was thinking about the company’s logo, I remembered the photo, edited it and so the “AX” logo came out. Even though he didn’t live to see me start my own business, I feel like he’s always going to be a part of it.”

The entire “ENA” collection is inspired by the Greek summer Photo: Supplied

The ENA collection recently attracted the attention of ‘fashion bible’ Vogue magazine.

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Angie Xylas and her creations were featured in the British May edition, aptly describing her collection as “designed for the free-spirited woman who is sophisticated and confident.”

For more information, you can visit www.angiexylas.com