Georgian-born Greek pop artist Tamta has never been interested in staying in one lane. A performer, fashion obsessive and artist deeply involved in shaping her own creative world, she has spent years moving fluidly between music, fashion and nightlife. Now, she is adding another role to the list: runway debutante.
Last month, Tamta made her first-ever runway appearance for Natasha Zinko’s SS27 ‘Pay Per View’ show during London Fashion Week, staged at Collins Music Hall in collaboration with OnlyFans. Joining a cast that included Katie Price and Drea De Matteo, Tamta stepped into Zinko’s immersive exploration of identity, surveillance and self-presentation in an age of constant visibility. Dressed in a camel leather-effect two-piece, her debut felt less like a departure and more like a natural extension of the visual world she has cultivated throughout her career.
With more than 300 million career streams, collaborations with fashion names including Mugler, and a creative practice that refuses easy categorisation, Tamta has steadily carved out a space entirely her own. Through KIKI MUSIC, her experimental releases and boundary-pushing live performances, she continues to blur the lines between pop, fashion, performance and nightlife.
Now, as she prepares to return to London for her next show at Colours Hoxton on October 9th and works towards a new album, Tamta enters her next chapter with the same instinct that has shaped her journey so far: to keep evolving, experimenting and refusing to be defined by a single version of herself.
In conversation with 1883 Magazine, TAMTA discusses her debut walk at LFW, her upcoming show at Colours Hoxton, her journey so far, and more.
What’s one exciting thing that happened to you this week?
I walked a runway for the first time at London Fashion Week, for Natasha Zinko. Even though I’ve been performing on stage for twenty years, it was something I’d never done before. Walking among all these cult icons was a different experience, and I had so much fun doing it.
What was the last thing you read?
An article about what space actually smells like. What is going on up there really intrigues me.
Favourite memory growing up?
My first little concerts were from the window of the home I grew up in, singing to the neighbours and hearing them applaud from outside.
Where was the last place you travelled to?
London, for London Fashion Week.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
Walking through London in shoes that were definitely not made for walking. I tripped, luckily didn’t hurt myself, and ended up laughing at myself in the middle of the street.
What’s your nighttime ritual?
My phone finally going silent.
Who would be on your dream dinner party guest list?
Tilda Swinton and Sharon Stone.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion.
Favourite item in your closet?
Probably my Doublet sculptural hot-water-bottle-shaped bag right now.
Tell us about your runway debut at Natasha Zinko’s SS27 LFW show, was there nerves, excitement? What went through your mind during the walk?
Natasha Zinko has been one of my favourite designers for years, and I’ve worn her clothes for a long time, so when I got a direct message from her on Instagram asking me to walk in the show, I was genuinely excited. The show itself was very performative, with artists from different worlds, characters and personalities, so it didn’t feel like a traditional catwalk. That actually made it quite easy for me to step into it and find my place in the whole experience. I really enjoyed it, had fun with it, and I’m happy I got to add something new to my life.
Colours Hoxton is going to be a special show, how are you preparing for your headline show?
Rehearsing, finalising details, and looking for new elements we can add here and there to make the whole experience feel complete. My whole team loves the challenge of finding new ways my songs can transform on a live stage, and how the visuals, styling, movement and energy of the room can give them another life. This being my second headline performance in London also makes it feel very special. I’m coming back with more music, more experiences and another version of myself. We’ve been experimenting a lot with the live arrangements and the performance, trying to keep that balance between something very raw and something very carefully constructed.
I want people to feel like they stepped into my universe for a while. And London has such an open, curious audience that it feels like the perfect place to bring this version of the show to life. Keep in mind that alongside my latest music projects, I’ll also be revisiting some songs that have become fan favorites in Greece over the years.
You’ve achieved so much, millions of streams, a judge spot on X Factor Greece and Georgia, co-founded KIKI Music, and continued to release music whilst being such a busy person. If you were to look back on Tamta at the start of her career, what do you think she would say about everything that has happened so far?
I think she would be surprised by just how much life can change, and probably proud that I kept going through all of it. At the beginning of my career, I was still trying to understand where I belonged and what kind of artist I wanted to be. I don’t think I could have imagined the path exactly as it happened, or all the different musical and visual worlds we would create along the way.
In a way, that whole journey of searching for my identity became part of the music itself. Every project, even every version of me has captured something I was discovering about myself at that moment. So, I think she would be happy to see that, after all these years, I’m still curious, still evolving, and still allowing myself to discover new sides of who I am. And I hope someone asks me this question again many years from now, so I can imagine what the Tamta of today would think of the person and artist I’ve become then. We have a long way ahead of us.
What’s on your rider for a show?
At this stage, my rider is pretty simple and mostly includes the essentials I need for the live show. I’m quite a perfectionist when it comes to what happens on stage, but off stage I don’t have many demands. Give me a coffee, some water, and a good space for me and my team to get ready, and I’m happy.
What inspires you on a typical day when you’re working on music?
A typical day is usually me and Teo, my producer, talking through the creative side of things. Some days I’m completely focused and inspired, and some days the ideas take a little longer to come.
What would you like to explore both sonically and thematically on your next album?
Sonically, I want to explore metal elements alongside pop and electronic music. At the same time, I want to bring Georgian culture and language, as well as Greek, into a mainly English language album, so the record can reflect more fully who I am, both as an artist and as a person.
Finally, what is one thing you would like to manifest for yourself and why?
To keep creating a life where I feel free to evolve, take risks, and still stay close to the people and things that really matter to me.
TAMTA is performing a headline slot at Colours Hoxton on Friday, purchase tickets here.
