Pampoukas was correct in identifying a gap in the market, and
during its first 20 years in business, Thedi made huge strides
locally – by 1999, the brand had 200 retail outlets within Greece.
They also began to look further afield, working with companies in
the US, including collaborating with Harley Davidson for several
years, as well as designing and producing leather jackets for the
European market. This experience, Pampoukas says, was instrumental
for his understanding of tanning and the production cycle of
leathers, as well as learning techniques from other
craftspeople.
Thedi’s hides are vegetable-processed, sourced from tanneries in
Italy. The lining is 100 percent cotton, zips are brass, and
buttons carved from horn. Leather jackets are sewn by hand (many
made to measure, to order) then specially hand-washed and treated
several times over with beeswax, giving the garments a unique
patina, texture and handle. Jackets constructed of denim use a
variety called ‘Armalith’, comprising cotton wrapped in
military-grade Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE)
fibres, which are twice as strong as Kevlar.
Tough and beautiful, a Thedi jacket is as singular aesthetically
as it is architecturally. An enthusiastic collector of archival
pieces, Pampoukas says: “In the early years, my design started by
looking at my vintage collection. We did not copy old models, we
designed our own, with details of old jackets that I had collected
from time to time.” Today, Pampoukas’ designs still reference
jackets from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, while bringing in modern
elements or trends according to customers’ requests.
With a cult following worldwide (Google ‘Thedi Leathers’ and
browse the rapt forum posts for proof), Pampoukas believes it is
Thedi’s philosophy of “Love, passion, creativity and quality” that
customers recognise and respect. “These are the four points that
make us stand out, and that is how we’ll keep on going in the years
to come.” He continues: “We are a small team of craftsmen who’ve
spent more than 30 years together, making a beautiful, unique
product, treating the skin in the old good way… With our focus on
the detail, the handmade processing of the leather, the quality of
the materials, the unique and delicate sewing, the pattern itself —
which we spend many hours of studying and testing to conclude —
plus our passion and love for what we do, you have an ideal final
product. This is what makes Thedi one of a kind.”
Adding to its uniqueness, there’s also the brand’s Greek
provenance to consider. Pampoukas says coming from the ancient city
of Thessaloniki, on the shores of the Aegean, imbues Thedi’s wares
with “The freshness of the Greek sea and the brightness of the
Greek sky. In the collection there are colours of blue, reflecting
the sea; green, for the mountains; autumnal shades of burgundy and
brown; and the colour of the sand.”
For all those natural touches, however, it’s affection for the
machine that unites Thedi fans. These, Pampoukas characterises, are
people with particular style and philosophy, people who love things
that are authentic and outstanding – and people who love
motorcycles.
Thedi's backpack is made from hard-wearing military canvas with a
leather flap and fastenings. Photograph by Kim Lang.
