KYRIACOS is extending beyond the realms of fashion by releasing a self-defence keychain. Accompanied by a short film, founder Leila Kyriacos felt that her latest drop was an important move. “In this current climate, and as a woman, I feel it is so important for me to always feel protected,” she says.

Inspired by the symbols of the formidable Greek goddesses, Hecate and Selene, the keychain is rendered in the shape of the brand’s logo, which is “sharpened” around the edges to create an efficient, self-defence weapon. 20% of every keychain sale is donated to peaceoverviolence.org

The Los Angeles and Atlanta-based unisex clothing and accessories brand is renowned for making statements with their garments. Every piece, Kyriacos notes, is created to evoke emotion, and to display the reality of a creative brain. The American designer talks to Wonderland about the innovative key-chain, creating the short film, and the inspirations which lie at the core of her work.

Head below for the interview and the short film and head to kyriac0s.com to order the keychain….

When did you first get into fashion?
My first memory of fashion is playing with Bratz dolls and always putting my dream career “Fashion Designer” when playing the game M.A.S.H with my friends. It wasn’t until high school that I started to actually design and make clothing for my school’s fashion show!

Do you have a particular designer that you consider to be an inspiration to you?
McQueen. Mugler. Westwood. That is my fashion holy trinity. It’s hard for me to pick just one, but I really resonate with Alexander McQueen’s research and darkness behind his collections that he turned to beauty.

How would you describe the aesthetic of your brand?
Emotional, it is intended to display the reality of a creative brain; hidden meaning, clean chaos, rawness, inspiring but effortless, everything thought out but more free. The attention to detail and heavy color use is significant in turning the disorder into cohesiveness. KYRIACOS is an emotion.

As well as clothing, you have also released a self-defence keychain! What made you decide to design this?
I wanted to create a product that was functional. When looking at my logo, I started to see that it looked like it could be held, that’s where the idea started! The keychain is a sleek and slender design, that easily allows you to grip and use!

You have also chosen to partner with the non-profit organisation Peace Over Violence for this by donating a percentage of your sales to them! How did this relationship between the brand and non-profit come to be?
I searched and searched for the perfect organization who’s morals and ideas resonated with me. POV really stood out to me as they offer so many resources for women or anyone who is going through sexual/physical assault, as well as offering self-defense classes for women to take!

And to debut the keychain, you have released a cinematic commercial that you directed yourself! Talk us through the inspiration behind it?
Yes! It was so exciting, as this was my first time directing a film. My Co-director, Emmanuel Rivas, had this initial idea to do a comic book style vibe, which I really loved and we went with it! The both of us are really inspired by Tim Burton, personally my favorite movie is Beetlejuice and I love the aesthetics in Edward Scissorhands, So I think from colors and cinematic shots from both movies, you can see how this type of aesthetic is brought on into the Kyriacos Film! I also wanted the viewers to feel as though they had a glimpse into the Kyriacos World.

Do you have a message you’d like to send out to your female customers regarding the new product?
Being a woman I know how scary it can feel walking anywhere alone. Please always be alert and be mindful of your surroundings! We need to stick together and protect one another, and I hope by sharing this product with the world, I can help other women feel more safe, (while still remaining fashionable)!

What is next for you? Have you got any other projects that you are currently working on?
Of course! I’m currently reviewing photos from a previous of a new mesh dress that will be coming out soon as well as a rockstar style baby tee. A new full Kyriacos Collection is also to drop in 2022. I’m excited