We are a creative group of women from the mountain villages of Thrace, a region with a rich cultural heritage and a diverse Muslim population.
In 2019, we founded Pleteno, a social cooperative enterprise dedicated to crafting handmade women's accessories and home décor items.
This venture not only allows us to develop new skills but also challenges and changes the stereotypes surrounding the role of women in our communities.
Pleteno, meaning "knitted" in our local language, was a name chosen by students of the Second Chance School / Scholio Defteris Efkerias (SDE) in the village of Kentavros for their virtual business. The inspiration came from our journey at SDE, where women pursue their high school diplomas.
For us, Pleteno represents more than just a business.
it signifies a path to empowerment and an escape from the routine, enabling us to engage with the broader world through entrepreneurship.
Our work is inspired by our cultural heritage, and we revive and adapt traditional techniques to meet modern needs and trends.
Through training seminars and workshops, we create stylish and practical items for everyday use. We are passionate about circular economy and transforming industrial fabric waste into beautiful products through reuse and recycling.
As a social economy cooperative, we are committed to supporting the artistic community and do not use materials that are harmful to animals and the environment.
Our product range includes:
- Bags
- Wallets
- Tops
- Scarves
- Jewelry
- Rugs
- Lamps
We employ a variety of techniques such as weaving on looms, macramé, crochet, and dyeing with vegetable dyes and our passion for creation drives us to continuously expand our collection with new designs and items.
In the short time we have been running as a business, we have earned the trust of both national and international clients for custom-made items.
Our work and unique story has been featured in: Vogue Greece, For Glow, Travel.gr, Medley Athens.