Her love for Greece and its culture extended into her following collections that combine tradition with modern design. Athens based designer Elena Syraka commenced her studies in fashion and jewellery design with a degree from the renowned Veloudakis School of Fashion in Athens, Greece, followed by a Diploma in Fashion and Jewellery design from ESMOD in Paris, France. During this time, Elena also won first prize in textiles at the EUROMODE TEXTILIA exhibition in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1991. After that, she went on to study Gemology. In the 15 years that she has been designing jewellery, Elena has come to be known for the uniqueness of the forms she creates and the use of unconventional materials. Due to their often dramatic character, Elena has regularly been called upon to create pieces for the cinema and theatre and has exhibited her work in both solo and group art exhibitions. She has also been invited to design jewellery lines for a number of renowned fashion designer’s collections as well as designs for international brands; collaborations include her “Absolut Love” handbag for Absolut Vodka’s multi-national ad campaign as well as other projects for prestigious clients such as Clinique, Levi’s, Lacoste and a number of other international brands.