Greek creatives talk ‘Soft Armor’ with Winston Lawrence
Published:Sunday | September 28, 2025 | 12:11 AM
Greek fashion designer Adonis Kozakidis and photographer compatriot Petros Aronis found the perfect muse in Jamaican model Winston Lawrence for their latest creative endeavour. Shot in Greece in June, the striking editorial titled Soft Armor, unveiled earlier this month, was described by Kozakidis as “a perfect storm”.
“Having a strong model in town and a talented photographer and director, both at the same time, the project just clicked.”
In conversation with Sunday Lifestyle, the designer, who founded his Greece-based menswear brand Adonis seven years ago, revealed that the newly released Soft Armor originated from his vision board. “I do a couple of creative editorials every year with blended pieces from various collections. It has become part of the brand identity.”
A graduate of the London-based Central Saint Martins College, Kozakidis recalled that in making the decision to establish his own fashion imprint, he was intentional in both celebrating and grounding it in his roots.
“We soft launched in 2018 not knowing where it could go or if it could even stand in such a competitive industry, and just kept going. Greece is my birthplace so it made a lot of sense to start a business endeavour here where I had a great support system around me,” remarked the young designer who was among fellow creatives spotlighted by Vogue Greece for a 2019-published feature headlined Generation Next.
With internships at French luxury fashion houses Lanvin and Balenciaga long under his belt, Kozakidis gave insight into his brand aesthetic. “My most consistent sphere is using classic tailoring disciplines from my menswear background and translating them into a modern garment,” he opined. “I always aim to create pieces that are not defined by seasonal trends and offer customers the ability to blend pieces in their wardrobe from season to season.”
Meanwhile, shutterbug Aronis detailed the axis of how the Soft Armor artistic partnership with Kozakidis took shape, with SAINT International star Lawrence at the centre.
“We set out to create a visual language that allows rough and polished elements to coexist. We were drawn to the tension between softness and strength, how a body or garment can feel both protective and exposed,” he explained.
To this end, Aronis further noted that “with every frame we looked for those small collisions: a sharp architectural line against a flowing silhouette, a gritty surface beside sharp tailoring, a pose that feels at once defensive and inviting. This also led us to come up with the title Soft Armor for this editorial.”
Regarding the evocative storytelling they aimed to capture on film, Aronis told The Sunday Gleaner that he maintained ongoing dialogue with the designer, who also gave creative-directed the shoot.
“We met a few times beforehand to map out the editorial’s direction. We discussed mood references, clothing choices and how each look could advance the ‘Soft Armor’ narrative. Because we both live in the same area, location scouting was quite convenient,” the photographer remarked.
“We spent an afternoon wandering our neighbourhood, noticing textures and corners we usually pass by. The shoot itself took place in one day, but it felt expansive because of the groundwork we already set in pre-production. Lawrence brought incredible range, which gave us a wide set of images to work with.”
As for Lawrence’s take on the new Adonis editorial, unsurprisingly, he is a fan of the results. “I really enjoyed the artistic process of working with Petros and Adonis. It’s always a pleasure when a team is in sync and can execute a good idea. Plus, the images them look proper,” shared the Rock-born model, who shot to TikTok viral fame this summer with a series of videos titled ‘Jamaican Living in Greece’, documenting his cultural experiences.
The Adonis assignment was one of several fashion projects for Lawrence during his recent two-month long stay in Greece where he is signed to D Model Agency.