At the beginning of October 2016, Mrs Vicky Karelia realised one of her life’s ambitions when the ‘Victoria G Karelia Collection of Traditional Greek Costumes’ opened in Kalamata, the main city in Greece’s southern Peloponnese but still relatively unexplored as a travel destination.  Built around her personal collection, painstakingly amassed over many years, the display has over 90 fully dressed mannequins, making it one of the most comprehensive collections of women’s and men’s costumes from the Greek Islands and Mainland, spanning around 200 years.  These beautifully embroidered costumes are complemented with the correct accessories and jewellery.

A listed, 19^th century house, has been specifically and lovingly restored to house this Collection.  It benefits from a tasteful, state of the art display, and visitor experience is enhanced through the use of hand-held computer tablets, allowing detailed magnification of the exhibits, along with supporting text in English.

Jacqui Hyman MA(Res), ACR, freelance Textile Conservator, visited the museum last December and was so impressed with the stunning array, the stories behind each and their professional display, that she wanted to bring them to the wider attention of textile and costume enthusiasts.  Anyone wanting further information, or wishing to join a week’s private tour to Kalamata, including the opportunity for in-depth study of the Collection, now being arranged for 23rd - 28th September 2017, should contact Jacqui by e-mail on j.hyman@textilerestoration.co.uk or by ‘phone on 0161-928-0020.  This tour, limited to a maximum of 16 people, will also offer the opportunity to discover two of the area’s most important archaeological sites, Mystras and Ancient Messini.