Athens-based label Ioanna Kourbela is set to show the 2011 Autumn/Winter line at the New Zealand Fashion Festival, which begins next week.

Kourbela are famous for their knitwear. In the early 1970s, when it was founded, the garments were hand knitted by a group of Greek women though nowadays the company has grown and a computerised loom is responsible for creating the elaborate knitted designs, according to 3 News reports. On Monday night the label will appear in the first of four Designer Collection shows at the Fashion Festival.

The show is hosted and styled by Fashion Quarterly and will feature nine other labels alongside Kourbela. This is the first time Kourbela has been involved with either the Fashion Festival or Fashion Week, and New Zealand distributor Hudson says that designer Ioanna Kourbela is “really excited about her garments being shown in New Zealand”.

Kourbela’s label appeals to women across all ages and demographics, Hudson says. “My mum who’s in her sixties wears a lot of Ioanna’s clothes, so it’s got something for everyone. There’s quite a bit of colour coming through there, which I think New Zealand is quite ready for.”

The family-owned business was established in 1972. Over the past 39 years it has grown and is now sold right throughout the world. Some items have proved so popular that they are reproduced every year in an extensive range of colours. While Ioanna Kourbela will not make it to the show this time round, Hudson says she would love for the designer to make it to New Zealand in the future.

“She’s such an awesome woman and I think people who come to see the show on Monday night will see something quite unique.”

For more information on the Fashion Festival or to purchase tickets visit http://nzfashionfestival.com/