Made in Greeceland

As any disorganized person who's governed by spontaneity, I often like saying that chaos breeds creation and with this post I will try to prove just that. Greece is battling with the sixth consecutive year of "THE CRISIS!!!" and an increasing number of shops are closing down in Athens. Yet not all hope is lost, as a new wave of young entrepreneurial designers  has simultaneously emerged and it looks like they are here to stay. So this post is dedicated to all the young creative people that against all odds are taking a chance and embarking on their own little adventure by making all these beautiful things in Greeceland.

Enjoy a selection of my favorite brands...

KARAVAN clothing

Hippie chic handmade clothes for all you traveling ladies out there.
The lovers boustier is one of my favorite items during the summer holidays.

Myrto Anastasopoulou Jewellery

Truly unique jewellery, I get stopped constantly to receive complements for my 2 butterfly rings, I also happen to know the girl behind them and she's the real gem!

BLANC

Extremely classy and unique handmade hats, probably my favorite purchase of the season!

MOHXA

Surf/skater chic from the beautiful boyz of Paleo Faliro, the little piece of beach paradise that I grew up in. Their Hawaiian shirts are an absolute must!

ippolito 

Sometimes less is more. Bags in classy and simple designs made out of excellent quality leather and in amazing pastel colors.

FOREVER ATHENS

US militaria and workwear classics with a local artisan touch. 

MYKSA

Faux fair for all the fashionistas that keep pretending they have a conscience

DIGITARIA 

Greek couture with an edge

The Real Intellectuals 

For some awesome handcrafted biker shit. Beautiful people that have also set up a beautiful store in the center of Athens.

And I couldn't help but end on a Greek note…

But I asked you for a dance...

I hope this post finds you all sundrunk by the sea, with freckles on your nose, blonde streaks in your hair and a fabulous book in your hands. This summer has been relatively short, due to unforseen forces of change, but sweet nevertheless. I engaged in my annual hermit, detox, island retreat for about two weeks and thought I would share some photos and the books and songs that occuppied my time during my summer paradise-lost.

"The Myth of Sisyphus" has been somwhat of a recurrent theme in my life, whether it was the spectacular dance performance "Still Life" by the incredibly talented Mr Papaioannou, or my mum and lover reading it during the exact same time and talking to me about it. I thus thought that it was high-time to dwelve into a little absurdism. Though this essay rang true in many ways, I must admit I was surprised at how such a talented man like Camus managed to make 120 pages rather tiring and repetitive. Just know that at the end one must imagine Sisyphys happy....

"I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negated the gods and raises rocks. He, too, concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Albert Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus" 

Survival kit for lazy sunbathers

The other book, "Generation X", that kept me company has again been ever-present during my teenage years as the term kept appearing in some of the key movies marking my coming of age such as Clerks, Reality Bites, Heathers, Fight Club, Dazed and Confused, Singles and many many more... and indeed it was a real delight and very topical for a girl in her late 20s coming from Greeceland. 

Self-diagnosis

"But my crisis wasn't just the failure of youth but also a failure of class and of sex and the future and I still don't know what. I began to see this world as one where citizens stare, say, at the armless Venus de Milo and fantasize about amputee sex or self-righteously apply a fig leaf to the statue of David, but not before breaking off his dick as a souvenir. All events became omens; I lost the ability to take anything literally."  

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, by Douglas Coupland 

Washed out island beauty queens

Dancing in the moonlight on this long hot summer night

 

View from my paradise-lost

Absolute cuteness! World meet Victor! Cause the family just gained a heartbreaker!

The beauty of visiting my grandparents: Family tresures and long forgotten fashion gems

Dressing up

A fantabulous night for a moondance

 

Summertime is all about figs and hammocks

Cause Paul Simon's Graceland is and fo ralways will be the quintessential summer soundtrack

Absolute Greeceland

Cause we had a moment listening to this song, driving to the North side of the island to howl at the August super-moon

Teddy Boys and Copycats

"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensation for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."

Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

I finally read the dystopian all-time classic and  this is the paragraph that stayed with me the most. Cause a good fight against misfortune and a struggle with temptation do hold a dangerously glamorous allure.

Speaking of dystopian futures and state controlled behavioral manipulation, an interesting fact about Greeceland is that during the 60s, a time of revolution across the rest of Europe, an infamous law, law 4000, was put in place to punish "Teddy Boy" behaviour. According to law 4000 young troublemakers arrested for the offense of slander had their heads shaved, the cuffs of their pants ripped and were forced to walk around with a sign stating "I am a Teddy Boy", for pedagogic reasons of course.

And now for the copycats, surprisingly enough some of my favorite "songs du jour" seem to be covers and the quintessential soundtrack during this transitional month is Todd Terje's Johnny and Mary sang by Brian Ferry! This song is GOLD.

Another current favourite:

And last but not least photos and tips from 2 of the must-see exhibitions in Athens at the moment.

-The exceptionally curated A THOUSAND DOORS exhibition by NEON and Whitechapel Gallery that is hosted at the majestic Gennadius Library until the 30th of June.

Tip: all the volunteers are extremely polite and well-informed ask them to tell you a story about the art piece they are standing next to you won't regret it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I'm profoundly shallow, my lack of knowledge is vast and my horizons are narrow" said the boy.

 

 "No Respect": Graffiti and street art at the OCC." 

Cause our graffiti rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And my favourite portrait at the moment needlewordk by Lockibird