Greek model Eleftheria Sifnaiou dies; 2000s catwalk name later turned to ceramics

A farewell from a close friend

Eleftheria Sifnaiou, a former model born in Athens, has died. The news spread on Facebook on 5 November, when her close friend Angela Trantali published a shared photograph with a farewell message about the years they had known each other. Trantali recalled meeting through the modelling agency, holidays, late nights out and a Polaroid Sifnaiou had sent her one evening.

Trantali wrote:

“We met at the agency, became friends, went on holidays, went out at night, danced and laughed a lot.”

In the same post Trantali described a call she made on a Friday that went unanswered, and a message she sent asking whether everything was all right. She wrote that Sifnaiou had said nothing to anyone, and ended by calling the news unbelievable.

Confirmation and cause of death

Vasileios Kostetsos, a designer who knew Sifnaiou personally and had worked with her in the past, confirmed the death to TLIFE. He said the news had come suddenly, and then described her in a way that reflected their friendship.

“She was a soft-spoken girl. She never displeased anyone, she was not noisy, nor did she want to be seen too much.”

Kostetsos also said that Sifnaiou leaves a child behind. None of the articles give a cause of death. NewsIT reported that she died after a battle with a serious illness, while To Vima, citing information it had received, said she had been facing a serious health problem. None of the articles name the illness.

From Milan runways to editorials

Born in Athens, Sifnaiou studied fashion design in Milan, where she took her first professional steps as a model. In 2002 she was named Europe Face of the Year, a distinction the reports say helped raise her profile. In the years that followed she worked with designers including Lakis Gavalas and Vasileios Kostetsos, and her career included editorials for fashion magazines, advertising campaigns and trips abroad. She had also pursued interests in marketing, business administration and interior decoration.

Ceramics after modelling

In later years Sifnaiou stepped away from runways and photo shoots and made ceramics her main creative focus. Reports say her works were presented at the Medina Art Gallery in Rome. Sources describe ceramics as the art she devoted herself to with particular dedication, and one outlet called it one of her great loves.