The Main Character Energy of Korres
I’m in Athens, and I’m having one of those profound "click" moments. It's with a brand I’ve seen a thousand times but never truly seen. Korres.
It’s always been in my periphery—on social media, in chic department stores. I knew about it, but I never got it. It felt like just another "natural" brand in a very crowded world. I never really noticed it.
But being here, in their home city, is a revelation. I walked into one of their stores, and it wasn't just a shop; it was an experience. Part modern "Tech Chic" lab, part old-world apothecary. It’s a whole vibe.
I realized I wasn't just looking at a product. I was looking at a perfect, physical manifestation of what it means to live your Main Character Era. The entire brand is a lesson in what happens when a founder rejects the pre-written script and builds a world from her own, uncompromised vision.
The Main Character Mandate (Build from Obsession, Not Obligation)
The first rule of Main Character Energy is that you are the author of your own story. You don't ask for permission, and you don't follow a trend. You are the trend.
This is the Korres origin story. Lena Korres, a chemical engineer, admits, "We didn’t have a business plan in mind when we started. We were inspired by our obsessions and things we loved, we were driven by our instinct."
This is the entire philosophy. They didn't do market research to see what "clean beauty" trend to jump on; they inventedthe category two decades early because they were genuinely obsessed with Greek herbs and what Lena calls "Cool Science." They created the first-ever cosmetic with real, edible yogurt—a process that took three years—not because it was easy, but because it was an authentic part of their story.
This is MCE in its purest form. It's the confidence to build a multi-million dollar company from your own "obsessions," not from a committee's approval.
Sovereignty is the "Full Circle"
A true main character is sovereign. They own their narrative, from start to finish. This is the part of the Korres philosophy that, as a founder, I have the most respect for.
They call it the "Full Circle." It’s a universe of six distinct labs:
Soil Lab
Extraction Lab
Molecular Lab
Formulation Lab
Design Lab
Recycle Lab
This isn't just a "sustainability" gimmick. This is total narrative control.
They aren't dependent on outside suppliers for their "Tech Chic" formulas. They aren't hoping a design firm "gets" their vision. They own every single step, from the seed in the Greek soil to the chic, recycled bottle. This is world-building (a concept I love from gaming) applied to a real-world empire. It’s the ultimate act of sovereignty and a strategic moat that is impossible to copy.
The Antidote to "Protagonist Syndrome"
As we've explored, there's a dark side to MCE: "Protagonist Syndrome," the narcissistic idea that the world revolves around you.
The true, evolved Main Character knows the secret: you aren't just the star; you are the director. Your job is to build your "ensemble cast" and use your power to lift as you climb.
This is the Korres masterclass. The brand’s entire R&D and Formulation Lab is run by an all-women team of scientists.
Lena, the co-founder, actively mentors the young women who join her team. It’s "Women creating products for all women around the world." This is the WERULE mandate in its perfect, real-world form. It’s the understanding that your legacy isn't your product; it's the community you build and the people you empower.
Discovering Korres here in Athens, you realize the brand is the city: a perfect fusion of ancient soul and modern, "Tech Chic" cool. It’s the ultimate proof of what happens when a founder, full of Main Character Energy, builds a world exactly as she sees it.
