Dimitra Frangos, our new member at Kolimbri Kollective

We are super-happy and proud to share Dimitra Frangos is joining our Kolimbri Kollective!

Who am I?

My name is Dimitra Frangos. For years I have squirrelled away fabrics and treasures which others wanted to discard, knowing that one day they could be reinvented and revived. Alongside reviving pieces of upholstery and upcycling household items, my repurposing also helps reduce my carbon footprint. Guilt lingers when I consider my decades of consumption. I don’t, however, want to make my teenage son feel bleak about his future; I’d like to set an example of a life that impacts less on the environment and is still exciting and inspiring. We have both begun to value how a life surrounded by fewer but more meaningful objects allows us to focus on our life experiences rather than our need to maintain an overflowing home.

Valuing what you have can make a huge difference to the next generation. The smallest effort you make is a piece of the beautiful mosaic of a changing world.

My business & what I do

(in a nutshell) Upholstery, Soft Furnishings and Creativity Courses

How I met Niki and Marco

I am Marco’s sister

My favorite Curiously Connected Card, & what it says about me and my work

I am Penguin. Standing for something bigger than myself – passionate about community

What I’d like to bring to the Kollective.

I bring my understanding of the preciousness of the world’s resources. Being part of a community that cherishes Mother Nature and brings people closer together.

I am making stunning one off pouches made of vintage up-cycled fabric for Kolimbri’s Curiously Connected Cards. Each one is unique and can be ordered online via the webshop

What helps me thrive.

I thrive chatting with people about their potential, encouraging their creativity, their imagination. I thrive in beautiful landscapes, or marveling at the delicate petals of the smallest flower in my garden.
I thrive knowing that I have touched lives, protected a resource, revived a beautiful object. I thrive knowing that my ancestors are looking at my work and smiling that I choose to cherish not discard the energy and love that went into producing something special.

More inspiration

The Way We Walk

What if nature was not just a place to visit, but a place to learn?

The Way We Walk is a nature-connected education programme for secondary schools in Leiden. Through outdoor learning, reflection and creativity, young people reconnect with themselves, each other and the living world.

The programme supports wellbeing, resilience, citizenship, sustainability and ecological awareness with nature as a teacher, mirror and compass for growth.

For schools who want to bring learning beyond the classroom and into living connection.

#TheWayWeWalk #NatureConnectedLearning #OutdoorLearning #EducationForSustainability #StudentWellbeing #CitizenshipEducation #Leiden #Kolimbri

Hologram of an Athlete

On Resilience and Safety

What does a young athlete need in order to truly develop? When does someone feel grounded enough to grow, to learn, and to speak up? And what does a sporting environment require to make that development not only possible, but healthy and sustainable as well?

Digesting the Family Loaf

Imagine a family, a traditional Eastern cultural context, sitting together on the floor in a circle around a simple meal, the centre of which is a round loaf of unleavened flatbread. There is no individual portion, each person tears off pieces from the same loaf.