Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Shop like an Athenian

As Athens Fashion Week hits the Greek capital, Maria Kagkelidou follows the locals to uncover the city’s shopping hotspots and fi nds there’s a lot more to the shopping scene than just clothes

There is no better indication of how far Athenian – and Greek – economic fortunes have changed in the last couple of decades than the fashionistas’ parading the streets of the Greek capital. With the locals now widely recognised as some of the most image-conscious people in the Western World, it was only a matter of time before Athens got its very own fashion week held twice a year, in October (6-12) and March.

International high-street mega brands have arrived and many local firms are also spawning branches around Greece and the Balkans. But for the most part Athenians still shop in one-off boutiques whose wares have been hand-picked or, better still, designed by their owners.

Visitors to Athens will be further tempted to flex their plastic by the fact that most of the capital’s shopping haunts are within easy walking distance of each other as you drift seamlessly from Voukourestiou’s jewellers parade and Kolonaki’s designer stores to Psirri’s alternative boutiques and the cool shops selling books, music and clothing in the popular Syntagma area.

Dress to impress

With international luxury brand stores mushrooming to meet the needs of the increasingly fashion-conscious Greeks, local designers have also started catering for Athenian tastes.

Your first port of call should be .LAK (10, Skoufa St, lak.gr) where Greece’s best-known and most flamboyant fashion entreprenuer Lakis Gavalas and his team produce a line of cool, trendy clothing for men and women. The Kolonaki flagship store is one of four in the capital. Others can be found in the affluent suburbs of Glyfada (24-26 Metaxa St) in the south or in Halandri (33, Agias Paraskevis) in the north.

Up-and-coming Greek and foreign designers such as Christos Kyriakidis quirky accessories in the open-plan gallery store Occhi (35 Sarri St, occhi.biz) in the alternative Psirri neighbourhood. Meanwhile slightly more conventional dresses for all occasions and accessories can be found at the centrally located Ropa Lavada (42 Solonos St).

If you are after upmarket eveningwear, then head for glitterati favourite Deux Hommes (18 Kanari St, deuxhommes. gr) where design duo Dimitris Alexakis and Grigoris Triantafylou combine their flair for avant-garde fashion with a classic, functional aesthetic. Browse through their collection of prêt-a-porter clothing before blowing the budget at the boutique of young Athenian designer Orsalia Parthenis (20 Dimokritou St, Kolonaki & 324 Kifissias Ave, Kifissia), whose latest collection draws its inspiration from fetish chic.

Jewel in the crown

Add that essential bit of ‘bling’ to your outfit with a piece from master jewellers Zolotas (10 Panepistimiou Avenue, zolotas.gr) whose designs are inspired by ancient Greece and Byzantium. Or opt for the industry’s younger blood and join the demoiselles collecting the must-have ‘bugs’ and other pieces inspired by nature from Fanourakis (23 Patriarchou Ioakim St, fanourakis.gr).

More affordable (for the most part) hand-made contemporary jewellery is available from Apriati (29 Pindarou St). Cheap and cheerful beach-themed pieces that make great gifts can be found at Sirines (3 Makriyianni St, sirines.com), just by the new Acropolis museum entrance.

Footwear fetish

When it comes to footwear then step back in time with a pair of 50s- or 60s-inspired shoes from Vassilis Zoulias Old Athens (17 Kanari St). Think
beautiful pumps, classic stilettos and stylish mules. Alternatively Kalogirou’s two Kolonaki stores (4 Patriarchou Ioakim St & 28 Herodotou,) are shoe-lover meccas as they stock collections from most internationally acclaimed designers and luxury brands as well as their own in-house labels. Spiliopoulos (63 Ermou St), meanwhile, is a Greek favourite stocking last season’s big-names at half price or less. For authentic local quality then family-owned Ioannou (11 Patriarchou Ioakim St) has been crafting leather items – mainly shoes and bags – for nearly a century.

Groomed to go

In the past few years Greek firms have been taking advantage of the country’s vast and famed biodiversity to create beauty and grooming products. The first to go global was Korres whose original concept store can be found in the Attica department store (9 Panepistimiou St, korres.com). For a full-on natural spa, head to Apivita (26 Solonos St, apivita.com) where you can indulge in a number of pampering treatments before stocking up on personalised bath and grooming products.

When hunger pangs hit

All of this shopping will certainly see you work up an appetite. Greek cuisine is both delicious and healthy and as a result, globally popular. You can source all the ingredients you need to try your own hand at Greek cooking in the 19th-century Varvakios building in Kotzia Square, which houses the city’s main market, open six days a week.

But for ready-made delicacies that you can eat on the go, there’s no better way to start your day than the Athenian way with a piece of cheese, courgette or aubergine pie from traditional pie-heaven Ariston (10 Voulis St). Or join the locals queuing at Takis’ (14 Misaraliotou), just a stone’s throw from the Acropolis entrance, for its delicious sandwiches, bread and sweets. If you are after a deli, AB (19 Stadiou St) has a great selection of products from around the country.

Greek patisseries are an almost unique institution. Make your way to Paradosiakon (7 Amerikis) which sells pastries and confectionery from the remote island of Leros. The city’s newest patisserie addition is Thessaloniki-based Hatzis (5 Mitropoleos St) renowned for its Istanbul-rooted delicacies like Kazan Dipi, a crème brulée made of buffalo milk. Fresh’s (12 Kriezotou St) sweets, pasties and other gorgeous morceaux are light, tasty and also come in pretty packages, so it makes them nice little treats to take home.

Memento moments

The Monastiraki flea market, next to Athens’ Ancient Agora, is a popular haunt for antique lovers and tourists seeking out souvenirs, but if you are after something a little bit more original then head for Ding (19-21 Sof. Venizelou St, Halandri, ding.gr). The design object and furniture shop has teamed up with the ‘Greece is for Lovers’ team to offer you cutting-board-come-herb-crushers and Amen dinnerware.

Otherwise, Zoumboulakis, one of Greece’s best-known art galleries has recently opened its very own art, design and antiques shop in Kolonaki (7 Kriezotou St, zoumboulakis.gr) where international design classics and Greek objets d’art can be purchased.

Fashionistas’ heaven

Indulge your senses at Athens’ newest boutique hotel

The newly opened 2 Fashion House Hotel (2 Pireos St, Athens, , classicalhotels.com, rooms from ¤125) will surely draw the style-conscious in, if only to hang out sipping cocktails at the first-floor Fashion Airways Café, which mimics the interior of a luxury private jet. The 115 rooms in the hotel have been individually decorated by Greek fashion designers, photographers and artists. Here, all whims can be catered for whether you need a personal shopper (as if!) fortune-teller or knitting teacher – nothing is too much trouble.

FR Faites du shopping comme les Athéniens

Alors que l’événement “Athens Fashion Week” fait vibrer la capitale grecque, Maria Kagkelidou part en repérage dans la ville pour découvrir les lieux branchés du shopping

Parallèlement au développement fulgurant des enseignes internationales de marques de luxe pour répondre à la demande croissante des Grecs sensibles à la mode, les stylistes locaux ont commencé à se mettre au diapason du goût des Athéniens. Rendez-vous chez .LAK (10, rue Skoufa) pour des tenues tendances unisexes, et dans la galerie commerçante chez Occhi (35 rue Sarri) avec ses propositions de pièces uniques, fait main. Vous trouverez des collections et des accessoires plus traditionnels chez Ropa Lavada (42, rue Solonos) et si vous voulez dénicher la superbe tenue de soirée, allez aux Deux Hommes (18 rue Kanari) ou cassez votre tirelire dans la boutique Orsalia Parthenis (20 rue Dimokritou, Av. Kolonaki & 324 Kifissias, Kifissia).

Pourquoi ne pas ajouter une petite touche d’éclat à vos vêtements, en les ornant d’un bijou d’inspiration byzantine de chez Zolotas (10 Av. Panepistimiou) ? Ou optez pour le style plus contemporain de Fanourakis (23, rue Patriarchou Ioakim). Des pierres peuvent être achetées à des prix très abordables chez Apriati (29 rue Pindarou) et Sirines (3 rue Makriyianni). Au rayon chaussures, remontez dans le temps avec une paire de chez Vassilis Zoulias Old Athens (17 rue Kanari), sortie tout droit des années 50 ou 60. Dans ses deux magasins de Kolonaki, Kalogirou propose des chaussures dessinées par des stylistes (4 rue Patriarchou Ioakim & 28 Herodotou,) et Spiliopoulos (63 rue Ermou) devrait remporter tous les suffrages.

Si vous voulez vous faire plaisir entre deux séances de shopping, arrêtez-vous chez Korres (9 rue Panepistimiou, korres.com) pour ses sublimes produits de beauté et de toilette. Chez Apivita (26 rue Solonos, apivita.com) vous pourrez aussi vous faire dorloter, et choisir parmi les nombreux soins proposés avant de vous décider pour un produit personnalisé pour le bain et la toilette.

NL Shoppingparadijs Athene

Terwijl de Atheense Modeweek over de Griekse hoofdstad raast, volgt Maria Kagkelidou de locals om de meest trendy boetieks van de stad te ontdekken

Nu internationale luxewinkels als paddenstoelen uit de grond schieten om de honger van de steeds meer modebewuste Griek te stillen, nemen ook plaatselijke designers naald en draad op om mee te dingen in de strijd. Zet koers naar .LAK (Skoufa St 10) voor trendy unisekskleding, terwijl open galerijwinkel Occhi (Sarri St 35) exclusieve, handgemaakte stukken verkoopt. Meer conventionele jurken en accessoires vind je bij Ropa Lavada (Solonos St 42). Ben je op zoek naar de duurdere avondkledij? Ga dan naar Deux Hommes (Kanari St 18) of laat het geld wapperen in de boetiek van Orsalia Parthenis (Dimokritou St 20, Kolonaki & Kifissias Ave 324, Kifissia).

Geef je outfit de nodige glans en glitter met een door Byzantium bezield juweel van Zolotas (Panepistimiou Avenue 10) of kies voor een moderner stuk van bij Fanourakis (Patriarchou Ioakim St 23). Meer betaalbare schatten vind je bij Apriati (Pindarou St 29) en Sirines (Makriyianni St 3).

Stappers nodig? Reis terug in de tijd met een paar schoenen in fifties- of sixtiesstijl van Vassilis Zoulias Old Athens (Kanari St 17). Voor designerschoenen zijn de twee winkels van Kalogirou in Kolonaki (Patriarchou Ioakim St 4 & Herodotou 28) en Spiliopoulos (Ermou St 63) dan weer een absolute hotspot.

Als je tussen al dat shoppen door wat verwend wil worden, kan je prachtige schoonheids- en verzorgingsproducten vinden bij Korres

(Panepistimiou St 9, korres.com) en Apivita (Solonos St 26, apivita. com). Laat je hier heerlijk in de watten leggen alvorens een voorraad gepersonaliseerde bad- en verzorgingsproducten in te slaan.

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