In Five Points, fashion designer Diko Pekdemir-Lewis has set up her atelier.

Through the windows, passersby can see her at work — cutting fabric or sitting at a sewing machine. Each garment she sells is handmade.

Pekdemir-Lewis arrived in Columbia from Germany with Anton & Maxine, her luxury fashion brand, in 2016. Known for its dark colors and sharp lines, the European label stands in contrast to the Southern fashion scene.

Its success grows out of an intentional focus on relationships and craftsmanship.

Pekdemir-Lewis grew up surrounded by creativity.

“My dad is a tailor, and my mom was a singer,” she said. “When my mom was on stage, she would be wearing the dresses my dad made for her.”

Watching fabric transform into something beautiful drew her in early.

“My dad had his studio at home,” Pekdemir-Lewis said. “When he was making clothes for a customer, I sat there on my little machine and made clothes for my Barbies.”

The brand she built in Germany — named after her two daughters — moved with her to the United States for her husband’s military service.

What was intended to be a three-year stay has stretched much longer.

A network of artists

The decision to stay was made easier by Columbia’s close-knit arts scene.

“Columbia’s creative community took me in very quickly and supported me,” Pekdemir-Lewis said.

Anton & Maxine first sold clothing at Soda City Market on Main Street, where connections with other creators came naturally.

“Somebody would throw a party at their house and invite all artists,” she said. “Then it’s at the museum, then at a 701 CCA gallery — you always run into each other.”

“After about three years, I thought maybe we would stay longer,” Pekdemir-Lewis said. “Now it’s almost 10 years.”

Kelly Tabor, owner of Good For the Soles Shoes, has had a rack of Anton & Maxine clothes for sale in his Saluda Avenue shop since before Pekdemir-Lewis’ atelier opened, he said.

Tabor made the offer to give more exposure to the clothing brand.

Pekdemir-Lewis’ other work: mentorship

Pekdemir-Lewis has thanked the creative community by giving back.

Instead of traditional employees, she works primarily with interns — many of them University of South Carolina students.

“It is me and my interns,” she said of the four students who help run Anton & Maxine. “With every new intern, there’s new energy and ideas. It’s learning on both sides.”

Jacob Zamerano, a USC alumnus, spent nearly three years as a photography intern after a chance visit to the atelier.

“I had just moved to Columbia to attend USC,” Zamerano said. “A friend suggested I get to know the neighborhood.”

Anton & Maxine caught his attention from Saluda Avenue. As he browsed, Pekdemir-Lewis struck up a conversation.

“The thing that caught me off guard was that she didn’t just ask one question and let me go,” Zamerano said. “She kept asking more.”

After learning he was a visual communications major, she offered him an internship on the spot.

“It was a serendipitous happenstance, like a one-in-a-million situation and a testament to who she is,” he said. 

Zamerano returned to work for Pekdemir-Lewis each semester until moving to New York City after graduation — a step he credits, in part, to his time at the atelier.

“Being in that space gave me the connections, the motivation and a little bit of push to move,” he said.

A trend of moving to the fashion capital of the United States continues.

“There’s a literal pipeline of her interns going to New York City,” Zamerano said. “When I moved, they were some of my first connections.”

Pekdemir-Lewis maintains those relationships, often collaborating with them.

One of her former interns is working on her website now from New York City. After USC, she went on to Parson’s School of Design for a graduate degree.

“We call each other mom and daughter,” Pekdemir-Lewis said. “I love her.”

Current interns Regan Dowdy and Brooke Aarons, both USC fashion merchandising students, say the experience is unmatched locally.

“This internship has given us more opportunity than probably any other in the area,” Dowdy said. “We’ve touched on everything from start to finish.”

On March 28, Anton & Maxine presented “En Cloth Sure No. 2” at Ambrosia Taverna, an in-house runway show featuring its Spring/Summer 2026 collection. Pekdemir-Lewis involved her interns in planning the entirety of the event, which featured about 30 models.

Model Trinity Reese credits Pekdemir-Lewis with launching her career.

“I started as a fashion intern for Diko,” Reese said. “I had never modeled before. I wasn’t even in school. I said, ‘Hey, I want to breathe and learn next to you.’ And she let me be her intern.”

Modeling quickly became something Reese really wanted to pursue.

“I would spend hours after interning with Diko, and I would leave her studio and go to the Cayce Riverwalk and spend an additional two hours just practicing my walk — lots of practicing my faces in the mirror,” Reese said.

Pekdemir-Lewis helped Reese land her first modeling gig with Stoi’s Design Co., and soon after, she began walking in Anton & Maxine shows.

Reese has participated in more than 20 shows over the past four years.

At her Five Points atelier, Pekdemir-Lewis works just steps from where her finished garments hang for sale.

Anton & Maxine emphasizes longevity, sustainability and timeless style.

“I do not overproduce,” she said. “I make a small amount — usually one of each size — and if a customer wants it again, I remake it.”

Each piece can be worn for the next three or four years, and then some, Pekdemir-Lewis said.

In an era of fast fashion, that approach resonates.

“Seeing the rise of brands like Shein and Fashion Nova, the love for craftsmanship has shifted away,” Reese said. “But with Diko, it’s handmade with love.”

Reese said Anton & Maxine pieces such as the Morgan Pants have become staples in her wardrobe.

“She wants you to feel chic and powerful,” Reese said. “Her clothes are something you can live in. It’s quiet luxury.”

For Pekdemir-Lewis, that connection is the most rewarding part.

“It’s such a great feeling when you create something and somebody else puts it on, loves it, and feels confident and beautiful,” she said. “That’s what I love about my job.”