A DrEaM cOmE tRuE (well…almost)
June 26, 2009 at 9:35 pm | In fashion | Leave a CommentTags: athens, fashion school, fashion show, designs, ΑΚΤΟ, dream, fashion designer
Since I was about 10 I wanted to be a fashion designer! I alwasy loved creating things, let it be drawing or modelling clay or whatever I could lay my hands on. My mother used to make a lot of clothes sewn by a seamstress, so I liked the whole procedure of making clothes. As a child I used to make clothes for my barbie doll (now she has a fairly good amount of clothes I admit!!). I also used to design clothes in tiny “girls” and mainly in dancing poses (did I ever mention I did ballet for 5 years?) 
Of course it was out of the question for my parents to send me to study fashion, so I ended up in business administration, which also suits me I have to admit!! After finishing my under-graduate course and my masters degree and working since I was 19 I decided to “fund” myself a 2-years part-time course in fashion design.
It all started in 2007, when a year after completing my masters degree I felt “lost” and needed a new initiative in my life. So I enrolled in this course at the AKTO, a private school of art and design in Athens. I those two years I learned a lot. First of all my tiny girls grew up and became proper models (οι “κοπελιές” μου). I learned (well at least tried) to make my models 3D. I learned how to make patterns (talk about geometry class revisited) and partially how to use a sewing machine (we have now become good friends despite initial “quarreling”). I have met a lot of new people (co-students and teachers alike) from who I learned a lot and who I will dearly miss.
So…to the “dream” now…Last night was my fashion school’s end of the year show, with our desigs. It took us 3 months to create those clothes. From inspiration (the theme was enchanted forest, fairytale, formes and structures), to design, pattern cutting and finally sewing the garments.
Personally, I chose to sew the garments myself, as I didn’t know any seamstress that I could trust and because I wanted to be part of this creation. I spent 1,5 month making the patterns, the samples and finally the garments. Sometimes I got frustrated, the fabric ended to be not the best choice at all, I also heard some bad reviews from someone I don’t want to name, but who finally told me that my garments were really good. It was hard as I had time for nothing else! But it really paid of…Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you my fairies, for which I am very very proud of!!!
the fairy jumpsuit
the fairy dress
MuNiCh
May 9, 2009 at 3:29 pm | In travels | Leave a CommentTags: BMW, City Hall, Enlgish Garden, food, gothic, Munich, Olympic Park, parks, shopping
The first time I ever visited Munich was 18 years ago and I was almost nine at the time! The only thing that I vaguely remembered was the Olympic Park and the BMW building! So this time it was a good opportunity to be re-introduced to the city and its beauty. The weather was (mostly) generous to us, as I strongly believe that any city looks more beautiful when the sun shines.
Sightseeing
What I liked more about Munich was its parks. When I saw on the map how huge the English Garden is, I was astonished. I wished that I could walk ALL through the park, but I had to be content with the small part that I visited. It was Sunday, it was sunny and that means that the park was full of people strolling, biking, jogging, walking their dogs or sunbathing. Some friends told me that some people preferred to sunbathe in their birthday suit, but the people I saw were covered up (or at least their private bits)! In the park there is a lovely beer garden, by the Chinese Tower which is SO ideal during such a sunny day!
The second park that I loved (and also visited he same day) was the 
Olympic Park. It is located at the North West corner of the city and it is fairly large (but not larger than English Garden. It has a few hills that were created from the soil produced by the excavations for the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Hall and the Swimming Centre. It also features an Aquarium, 5×5 football court and mini golf. If I had more time I wanted to climb up the highest hill which was 564m high! The sight of so much grass and people strolling or sunbathing was so attractive, I wanted to dive into the grass!!…but BMW World was awaiting me…
The BMW building is consisted of 3 cylinder formed buildings actually. In front of this building there is another, cup shaped one, which is part of the BMW Museum and across the street is a modern glass building with a “double cone” on one corner, which hosts the BMW showroom. The “double cone” hosted a presentation/exhibition of the new BMW Z4 roadster. The motto of the presentation was “An Expression of Joy” and one of the video clips playing involved an Z4 creating an abstract painting with its wheels (you can watch the clip here ). The show room also had a couple of computers where you could make your own drawing and email it. So I made a lovely abstract drawing (what else could I do with a touchpad?!) and mailed it to myself!!!
The BMW Museum also amazed me. The design and presentation of exhibits was soooo fine. The walls were white and lighted from the inside (which actually doesn’t make them walls but Plexiglas panels) and a very relaxing music was playing on the background (the kind of music you hear when doing yoga). It didn’t follow the typical chronological order of appearance, but it was separated it parts such as company history, car motors, motorcycles, design + innovation and of course cars from the 30s until today.
Apart from the parks, the other sites that I loved were the gothic buildings 
that the city has. I am a big fan of gothic architecture (especially churches and stained glass), so I was more than amazed when I saw the City Hall at Marienplatz. I was also lucky as I was there when the clock stroke 5 p.m., and a marvelous “show” from the figures that were located just under the clock started. The Frauenkirche is one of the churches located at the town center. It is a large and high church (as all medieval ones) and at first sight I thought that it didn’t have stained glass windows. But the pillars were just hiding them!! I took some very lovely pictures of them and I was more than content!
Food & Drink
When in Munich, you must absolutely visit a beer house (or beer garden in spring and summer). The most famous one is the Hofbräuhaus (HB) which originates from the 6th century. I prefer their weiss (= white) beer, but they also have other varieties as well, such as beer combined with lemonade. Apparently weiss beer is a Bavarian specialty, which is highly convenient for me as the only beers that I like are HB and Franziskaner (which also has a beer house in Munich)
If you want to taste more sophisticated (a.k.a pricey) dishes then you should visit “Schuhbeck’s in den Südtirolen Stuben”. Apparently Schuhbeck is a famous chef with a couple of cookbooks and a TV show! The menu had very few dishes but they were all delicious. Its was just one of the occasional times that I have a 3-couse meal.
Shopping
I have to admit that I am not a big fan of german clothing brands. Do not get me wrong, they have nice clothes, but I haven’t found something young, fresh and a little bit eccentric; a high street brand like River Island in the UK. Though the one shop that is my latest favorite is NewYorker ! Especially the “brand” Fishbone has some cool t-shirts to wear either alone or with a cardigan.
More Photos
Munich U-Bahn
Goose @ Nymphemburg Palace Garden
Stained Glass @ Frauenkirche
Essential Addresses
Hofbräuhaus
City Center
Am Platzl 9
80331 München
http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html
Schubeck’s in den Südtirolen Stuben
Platzl 6 + 8
80331 München
New Yorker
München 80331
Kaufingerstr. 22
HaPpY nEw DiScOvErIeS
March 7, 2009 at 5:34 pm | In fashion | Leave a CommentTags: anna lou of london, art box, color pens, dresses, happie loves it, homeware, jewellry, London, minimal, muji, stationery, travel kits
Aaah…that is why I love London…there’s always something new (well at least for me, when I “discover” it for the first time) and exciting, should you have time and will to search! Recently, I realized that I haven’t shared my new discoveries with you…what a shame! So here we go:
Happie Loves It
I accidentally found this shop as I was making my way from Holborn to Covent Garden. And what a discovery that was! For me the clothes at this shop are the definition of girly! You won’t find pants in this store. It’s all about dresses, skirts, shirts and coats. There is really an Asian feeling to all the creations of Sean and Happie (the designers of the clothes), though I wasn’t able to find out where they come from. I already have 2 lovely dresses from this shop and hopefully, one day I’ll get a coat too You can find Happie Loves It online at the URL below. They also have an online store as well (though I believe for that a true shopping experience you’d better visit the store in person.
37 Drury Lane, Covent Garden, WC2B 5RR London
http://www.happielovesit.co.uk/
happie loves it store
my "happie loves it" dress
Muji
This store is the definition of simplicity and here you can find all kinds of stuff from pens and pencils, to travel “kits”, to kitchen utensils and many many more. As I found on their website, Muji originates from Japan, where the first shop was opened in 1980, whereas the first London shop was opened in 1991. Personally I loved the colorful pens (which I obviously bought) and I also liked the simple white plates (which unfortunately there is no point of buying…sob sob)
37-38 Long Acre Road, Covent Garden, WC2E 9JT, London
Muji colour pens
Anna Lou Of London
I discovered this lovely range of jewelry at Topshop Oxford Circus. Maybe it was the shiny crystals that drew my attention The line has pedants, earrings, headbands etc made out of plastic and full of tiny shiny crystals!!! Of course I couldn’t resist so I got hold of a rather large blue butterfly pendant! Searching further on I found that there is an exclusive Anna Lou of London shop in Soho, which I MUST visit on my next trip to London.
11 Newburgh Street (Off Carnaby Street), W1F 7RW, London
http://www.annalouoflondon.co.uk/
butterfly necklace
ArtBox
Again at Topshop I couldn’t stop checking the stationery stuff at the Art Box “counter”, but in the end I decided that I already have a pencil case and don’t need a new one (as if…). But when a friend of mine sent me the link of the respective website, I looked at all this “cute stuff” (as they also proclaim) and I decided that, YES I am going to pay them a visit next time…and buy that pencil case (and not only that)
Artbox Covent Garden - Thomas Neals Centre
29-41 Earlham St WC2H 9LD, London
24 hrs in PaRiS
February 26, 2009 at 3:33 pm | In travels | Leave a CommentTags: Arc de Triomphe, Avenue Montaigne, Beaubourg, Cafe Beaubourg, Cafe Mabillon, Champs Elysées, crepes, Eiffel Tower, Louis Vuitton, Louvre, Notre Dame, Paris, PAUL, Quartier Latin
To start of with, 24hrs are never enough for Paris, especially NOT for a first visit. 
But let’s say you have been blessed with the opportunity to spend even 24hrs in this lovely city. What would you do? Go shopping? Stroll along Champs Élysées? For me the best thing is to “re-visit” the most notable places of this city starting from L’Etoile Arc de Triomphe. Then walk along Champs Élysées and enjoy the city vibe!
Because my “plan” consists of a LOT of walking, you might want to grab something from my favorite bakery in the whole wide world: PAUL. There you can find everything from various types (and flavours) of bread to delicious desserts.
If you are a cars’ fan then you will be delighted by walking along Champs Elysees. The Citroen building is a very fancy one I admit. For me the new (actually renovated) Louis Vuitton shop is the most interesting building in Champs Élysées.
As you come closer to the river Seine, you have 2 choices: either go right, where Avenue Montaigne (a.k.a serious shopping street), Petit and Grand Palais and (ultimately) the Eiffel Tower is or go left, heading towards Rue de Rivoli, Louvre, Notre Dame. Let’s go right first…we’ll come back later
Avenue Montaigne is a cute little (well relevantly little) street where all the major fashion houses have a store: Christian Dior, Chanel, Nina Ricci, Gucci etc. Our window shopping brings us to the bank of the river Seine from where we can have a clear view of the Eiffel Tower. What I like most though is the view of the Tower from the Palais de Chaillot (metro station Trocadero) at the opposite site of the river. I have been up on Eiffel Tower once (though I’ve visited Paris plenty of times). If you have time (and if you’re not afraid of heights) then it is worthy to go up and enjoy the view. Provided that it’s a sunny day to, huh?!
From there (Trocadero station) you can take the metro (I’m not planning to e
xhaust you) in order to get back to Champs Élysées and continue our journey (you take line 9 direction Mairie de Montreuil and get of at Franklin D. Roosvelt station). From there on walk towards the Louvre, passing by Place Concorde, Rue de Rivoli and the Tuilleries gardens. You might prefer the gardens rather than Rue de Rivoli…whatever suits you. Personally I do a combination of both because at 208, Rue De Rivoli there is a souvenirs shop which also sells miniatures of Paris’ buildings (http://www.gault-france.com/), which I collect for the last 10 years, so for me it’s a must-stop before crossing through the Tuilleries directing towards the Louvre.
After adorning the former palace (Louvre that is) and the modern glass pyramid, head towards Cartier Latin and Notre Dame. Quartier Latin is the perfect place to have a break for a lunch, because you’ve probably starved and are exhausted by now!! The small streets are full of places to eat whether you want something meat-y or something more traditional like crêpes (I prefer the later). During my latest visit in Paris I had lunch at the Crêperie de Cluny in Rue de La Harpe, which offers a variety of savoury and sweet crêpes (but I suggest you keep that “sweet” thing for later )
After this much needed break I suggest you pass from Ile de la Cite 
(where Notre Dame is) and Ile St Louis and head towards the Parisian Hotel De Ville. A few blocks northern is the Centre Georges Pompidou a.k.a Beaubourg. This peculiar, industrial style building which have been criticized about its looks is a contemporary art museum. In the square in front of the Beaubourg you can find a very modern and lovely café with the same name (Café Beaubourg). You can click here to see how the café looks on the outside. It’s hard to miss! There I had the yummiest desert ever (probably). My brother suggested that I taste the Enorme Profiterol, which was tryly huge, filled with ice cream!! It’s a must for a much needed sugar fix!
Well my tour of Paris is pretty much ended. You can rest now Unfortunately I have no suggestions for nightlife (I’m usually to exhausted to go out when in Paris). Still you will have dinner, won’t you? The Champs Elysees are always an option and Quartier Latin is the second one. I suggest Café Mabillon in Boulevard Saint Germain. The atmosphere is very lovely, with red furniture, dim lighting and lovely cocktail. If you are hungry there are some “light” dishes. I strongly recommend the club sandwich!!
Paris has also many other places to visit if you have time. Must visit places are also Montmartre (with the lovely church of Sacre Coeur and Place du Tertre), the new National Bibliotheque near the river Seine as well as the Arc de la Defence in northern Paris.
Enjoy your visit!
Shop at Avenue Montaigne
Grande Arche De La Defence
Essential Addresses:
PAUL, 84 Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris
Crêperie de Cluny, 20 Rue De La Harpe, 75005 Paris
Café Beaubourg, 43 Rue St-Merri 4th Arroindesment
Café Mabillon, 164 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006, Paris
2009…keeps getting better…
January 1, 2009 at 9:45 pm | In fashion, travels | 1 CommentTags: 2009, create, resolutions, review, travel
It comes this time every year, when we look back to the year that we just left behind in order to review what happened, what went wrong (possibly!), which moments we want to keep and what resolutions to make…
Personally, I make such reviews for the past 10 years…not that it means that I learn much of the process, but it is interesting to remember what happened in the previous year; I find it liberating…
So how was 2008 for me? I would start of by stating what a colleague of mine, who is into horoscopes and stuff, told me in early 2008. He said that 2008 would be a good year for Scorpios (yeap, that’s me), and you know what? He was actually right! Well in average that is, because there where sad moments, there was grief, there was pain in 2008, but in the end all those sad moments (especially losing a friend so tragically and so young) make you realize that life has upturns and downturns and all we can do is gather ourselves when we fall and move on stronger that before…After all as Friedrich Nietzsche said “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”.
2008 was a mix of all things…there was fun (lots of it)…there was joy…there was travelling…there was introspection…there was meeting friends, having fun with friends and be grateful to have them in your life…
2008 marked a major travelling goal for me, as I crossed the Atlantic for the first time in my life in order to visit my friend Peny in Ann Arbor, MI ( ) and visit Chicago as well. New York will have to wait for now. And as a traveler, I was happy to visit 2 new countries as well: Hungary and Slovakia. Damn! The world is just too big…
2008 was also the year that I managed to sew a skirt all by myself…and design more and more…and better each time…
And I know what all you wonder…what about love? Don’t you little girl have feelings? Well apparently I have…and in late 2008 I realized that I CAN feel (well that is a big thing to say for some one who used to call herself a cruel and heartless b*tch)… And all I have to say is that 2008 ended in the sweetest way…
As for my resolutions for 2009…well they are not a surprise…First and foremost I wish that I am healthy, so I can realize all the things that I dream of! Second, I want the smile on my face that I have right now to last…Third, I want to travel, travel, travel as much as I can!! I have a good quote on this one: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” – Saint Augustine, and I want to read as many pages as possible! And last, but not least, I want to design and create, because that’s my dream and that is what makes me happy.
My Saturday Shopping Spree
November 30, 2008 at 9:25 pm | In fashion | Leave a CommentTags: Accessorize, beaded bracelet, cardigan, cut off gloves, Glyfada, H&M, shirt, shopping, Uterque, vest
It’s been almost a month since my last shopping spree (which was in London actually). In the meantime, I intentionally avoided visiting shops, apart from the odd purchase of a pair of knee-high boots that I’ve been searching for months (which is a whole different story)! So, when a friend of mine suggested going shopping yesterday, I just couldn’t say no (who would anyway)!! She wanted to buy a couple of gifts and order a pair of boots for herself and I (and my Visa card) just accompanied her!!
Our destination: Glyfada’s main shopping street (FYI Glyfada is a suburb of Athens, by the sea, famous for its numerous shopping centers and cafés).
First stop: Accessorize, a.ka. my temple No.1 (according to my brother). My friend 
searched for the gifts she wanted to buy as I browsed all kinds of stuff (apart from bags, because I’m trying to go through a bag-detox phase!). Of course I wasn’t “short of” anything, but who can resist to so many cute jewels, scarves, gloves etc.? I left the shop buying a pair of cut off gloves which I have been coveting for over a year and a multicolor beaded bracelet that goes perfectly with all of my winter dresses (black, grey and blue).
Intermediate stops included Uterqüe, which is an Inditex group owned brand (which honestly I didn’t know it existed!!). As I read at a press release about the first store opening of Uterqüe in Greece (which is the shop I visited actually): “the name Uterqüe is a Latin word, a construction which can be translated as “both” or, more literally, “one and the other”. With this denomination, the concept is referring to its combination of fashion and accessories on offer.” I really liked the store layout and decoration; I found it very elegant, but again I am at a bag-detox phase right now, so I didn’t buy anything 
. If you want to find more about Uterqüe, I suggest you visit the following URLs:
http://www.inditex.com/en/who_we_are/concepts/uterque
Oh! And I should add that Greece is the third country after Spain and Portugal that Uterqüe is beginning its commercial activity! I guess those guys over Inditex group value the Greek market, don’t you think? 
Last stop: H&M, which actually opened a new shop at Glyfada just two weeks ago! Though I had already browsed most of the store in the opening day, I missed a part of it (where actually I found many interesting items)! This time I invested in “basic” wardrobe stuff which include: a grayish shirt, a gray tweed masculine vest, a cyclamen colored cardigan (or I guess that it is cyclamen anyway!) and a simple long sleeved white t-shirt (I really needed that one!). When I tried the shirt on I thought of “throwing” the vest on top of it…and the combination was just awesome!!
To conclude with, I’ve included pictures of my basic buys! Enjoy!
Cyclamen coloured cardigan
Multicolour Beaded Bracelet
Golden Hall: Reporting from the Grand Opening of Athens’ new mall
November 28, 2008 at 1:52 pm | In fashion | 1 CommentTags: athens, celebrities, fairies, golden, golden hall, high street brands, jeweler, Kessaris, Lalaounis, Latsis, mall, opening, pret-a-porter, restaurants, shops, vogue
After 3 rounds of champagne, equal visits to the chocolate fountain and sightings of Athens’ most prestigious people; I think I have to “report” about the opening of Golden Hall, Athens’s new mall!
The “rumors” about its opening have been flying around for months and in every second advertisement in the latest Vogue issues would state that a new store would be opening at the Golden Hall (Tod’s, Hogan, Pinko and so on). The timing of the opening wouldn’t be better…1 month before Christmas!! I was happy to be able to find an invitation for the Grand Opening (thanks to my mum), though that would mean that I would lose my yoga session, but it was an evening well spent! So down to business now…I have a LOT to report about!
Golden Hall Overview
For the record, I have to mention that the building that will be the Golden Hall from now on, 
used to be the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Four years after that (in order to legalize the new use of the property, plan and reconstruct-internally that is) the IBC is transformed into a mall that has 3 levels: two for shops, with the odd café here and there and one for restaurants (but not your typical food court, we’re talking about elegance here). As the press release stated, the mall has 41.000 sq. meters gross leasable area, 1.400 parking spaces and 132 shops. The shops include women’s, men’s and kids’ fashion, footwear, accessories, jewellery shops, bookshops, home and decoration stores, sportswear shops, cosmetics’ shops, hair salon, coffee shops and restaurants.
This mall is targeted at a more sophisticated and well-off target group as it hosts many prêt-a-porter shops mixed with high street brands (the Inditex group has big time in this mall, as most of its brands are there: Zara, Berskha, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti and so on). It is not for teenagers that want to hang out, shop a little, drink a coffee and probably watch a movie (venues that the nearby The Mall Athens provides). It is also remarkable that most of the cafés within the Golden Hall do not provide much space to sit and chat (as cafés in Greece are obliged to do), the have a more on-the-go philosophy.
The ground floor is dedicated to high street brands: there are the Inditex Group shops I mentioned previously, Accessorize, Notos Home, Dyrberg/Kern to name but a few. The first floor hosts more “prestigious” shops: Marc by Marc Jacobs (I think I’m going to like this one), Coach, Hogan, Longchamp, Furla and shops that house many different brands both clothes and shoes (e.g. Zilly, Attica golden, Kalogirou). This level also houses the best jewellery shops: Kessaris (probably Athens’ best jewelry shop), Ilias Lalaounis (probably the most famous Greek jeweler – btw Charlize Theron wore earrings made by Lalaounis at the Hancock movie), Pentheroudakis (another Greek jeweler), Liana Vourakis (Greek jeweler) and Links of London among others. The top floor will house 5 restaurants: Meat me, Mezzaluna, Pastis, Wagamama and Prytaneion Gold.
The Opening
I haven’t seen any pictures or even passed by the mall before the opening, apart from some 3-D images I managed to find online. It was far better (and elegant) than I expected (because when I think of malls, Trafford Centre in Manchester, UK always pops up in my mind and that was an over-the-top mall). The entrance is GRAND: it has a big round fountain that changes colour at night and a large open space, with trees and lawn.
Upon entering (the ground floor) a small aisle leads to the first Hall that has 3 sets of gold pillars and 2 staircases leading to the first floor (actually one goes up and one goes down). As Christmas approaches, there was a Christmas tree in the middle, where Mrs Marianna Latsis, main stakeholder of the Latsis firms (her father was a shipping billionaire) and mother of Paris Latsis (former fiancé of Paris Hilton) and the 
CEO of Lamda Development (a company belonging to the Latsis family) (oh! And don’t expect me to remember the guy’s name since he doesn’t appear in gossip columns), greeted their guests. On the 2 staircases there where performers (I cannot find a more appropriate title), dressed up in white 1900s costumes and dresses which incorporated light inside (see corresponding picture as my description in flawed, I know) and hung from the ceiling were trumpet players playing music.
Walking down the aisles leading to the rear part of the mall, we were 
“greeted” by fairies hung from a sort of carousel (see image, the quality is not good – what would you expect from a cell phone – but you get the picture). The aisles were also filled with lace arcs with fairy lights inside, performers standing on balls and mannequin dolls dressed up in vintage dresses. The rear hall had a small stage and a jazz band was playing there. But again it wasn’t your typical jazz band…it was more of Charlie Chaplin-meets circus jazz band.
The first floor was the “catering” level, as it was full of buffets with delicious finger food (provided by Ekali Club catering) and sort of seating area. And there was champagne…lots of champagne…From the ceiling hang golden chandeliers (it is a Golden Hall after all!) and red roses where everywhere (note: the chandeliers belong to the mall’s permanent décor). The vibe was different from the “fairy tale” attitude of the ground floor.
The second floor, which will host the restaurants, had a black “theme”,
was full of sofas (black again) and had an ice bar (and I was wondering where the hell did that chill came from!). It reminded me of exclusive clubs and was definitely the place where people partied afterwards (though I did not last that long). The best part was the chocolate fountain it had!!! I hadn’t seen one for a while, so you can imagine my joy! And it had marshmallows as well (though they were big and sugary)!
And now…my favorite part of the report (you will understand why!)…
Spotted
I don’t think of myself as a celebrity-struck person, but it’s nice to see closer people you only see in the pages of Vogue or Hello! So, the following people from the Greek Jet Set were spotted at the opening of Golden Hall:
Marianna Latsis (see above)
Erietta Kourkoulou, daughter of Mrs Latsis
Gianna Angelopoulou – Daskalaki, former president of the Athens 2004 Organising Committee
Ilias Lalaounis, jeweler, accompanied by his wife and daughters
Yiannis Deloudis, owner of furniture shops
Petros Kostopoulos, publisher, owner of Imako Media S.A.
Stella Lizardi, Editing Director of Vogue Greece
Costas Kessaris, jeweler
Celia D, Greek fashion designer
Andria Papadopoulou, Greek fashion designer (I totally love her shows)
Tina Daskalantonaki, CEO of Classical Hotels (does Grecotel rings a bell?)
Liana Vourakis, jeweler
Anouschka Raphael – Swarovski (I hope I spell it right)
And last, but not least…I’ve included some pictures from the event! Enjoy!
The Central Hall
performer
LOVE...window of the Zilly shop
Shoes presented as jewels @ Kalogirou
Light+Furry dancers
Funky Ice Cubes
Mastermind
November 26, 2008 at 4:26 pm | In fashion | Leave a CommentTags: 70s, gucci, inspiration, sexy, style, tom ford
A while ago, I was assigned (at the fashion design course I attend) with a project titled: “The dream life of a fashion designer”. I had to chose a designer and write about his life, achievements, style and – above all – inspiration. For me, the choice of the designer was pretty easy: Tom Ford! Despite the fact that I am not a big fan of black (a colour that Ford adores), I was inspired by his achievements at Gucci and the image of the Gucci woman that he created! I was shocked and almost sad when I heard that he left Gucci and I am still sad he doesn’t design womenswear yet!
So when his self titled book came out, full of pictures from his designs for Gucci over the years as well as the best interview I have ever read, I rushed to buy it! I have read and re-read the interview and I find it very inspiring! This guy has guts! He also has determination and an immaculate sense of style. I have kept many quotes from that interview. My favorite ones are the following:
“Vision is one of the most important things in life, in creativity”
“I have never understood people who don’t have aspirations to become the best at whatever field they’re in”
“People approach fashion like a spectator sport. Some participate, some just watch”
Style
As Anna Wintour states at the foreword of Tom Ford’s self-titled book “[…] Tom Ford knew
the woman he was designing: sexy, confident and often flirtatiously androgynous”. The Gucci woman oozes sexual confidence, is confident about herself and feels sexy! The kind of woman that Tom Ford has on his mind when designing is powerful, sexy and in control! Still, in his book Ford states that “[…]when I say sex, it doesn’t necessarily mean the actual, physical act. It is the act of attraction, flirting”. He also states that the body plays such an important role in his designs, as “[…] the body is what always interests me and I’m trying to show it off”.
Ford’s style is prominent at the various advertising campaigns for the Gucci brand all over the years. The Gucci brand was aimed at very slick, very glamorous, very beautiful, very chic, very lacquered women and men (talk about exaggeration here!!). The same style (about sex) continues to exist in his current advertising campaign for menswear and sunglasses. I believe that the most provocative photos were those shot by Terry Richardson for Ford’s Spring Summer 2008 campaign that can be found at Tom Ford’s website (About>Gallery>SS08).
Influence/ Inspiration
Ford’s main inspiration comes from the sexual glamour of the 70s, which has seized to exist after the decay of the seventies party lifestyle as AIDS emerged and was related to sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. Ford arrived in New York in the late 70s and partied frequently at Studio 54. Therefore that lifestyle influenced him deeply as a designer. He finds New York to be a glamorous city, to which [glamour] one wants to connect, as everywhere you look in the city, everything is “decorated”. His white dresses inspired by Halston (in 1996) were a hit and Harper’s Bazaar (Nov 2008 edition) includes them in the list with the most iconic dresses so far!
Tom Ford also believes that “[…] everyone’s notion of beauty is formed – your sense of taste, most of your values and opinions are formed in your childhood – the first thing that you ever see that makes you think ‘god, that’s beautiful’: those things stick in your mind forever, so I will probably forever stuck in the sixties and seventies”.
Life After Gucci
Tom Ford left Gucci in 2004. I must admit that I was shocked when I read about it! I must 
have collected about 10 articles concerning his departure! It was really a cycle closing… and a new one starting. Gucci ventured into sunglasses and perfumes initially and then went on to creating a menswear line. I absolutely adored Black Orchid, though it was a bit “heavy” for me and I was more than happy when the Voile de Fleur version emerged…Now I have to try White Patchouli as well .
I recently read that the Daniel Craig, in the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace, wears Tom Ford…not bad at all!!!
You’ve Come a Long Way Baby!
November 13, 2008 at 1:16 pm | In fashion | 2 CommentsTags: athens, Greece, Green Glamour, Korres, Korres Natural Products, natural ingredients, Shine, Sugar Crystal cream, Who What Wear
The Greek brand Korres has a cult following amongst beauty editors and product junkies – Who What Wear
I come from a small country (Greece), with few local brands that have made an international breakthrough, so I am more that happy when I see that those brands not only expand overseas but also they get to be mentioned at blogs and articles.
Korres Natural Products is one of those brands. The company has its roots to the first ever Homeopathic Pharmacy in Athens. The firm was set up in 1996 and aims at creating beneficial and safe products using natural ingredients. The first product to be developed by the firm was a herbal syrup with honey and aniseed, a recipe inspired by “rakomelon”, which is a warming spirit with honey, which George Korres’ (the firm’s founder) grandfather used to favour in his hometown on the island of Naxos. Today the firm has many product categories from skin care, to make up and herbal preparations.
My first experience with Korres products was about 3 years ago when I borrowed the Sugar Crystal multivitamin day and night cream from a friend of mine. Ever since my face cleaning regime comprises solely of Korres products!
In Greece, those products are mainly available through pharmacies nationwide and the firm has 2 shops-in-a-shop in Athens! So it is remarkable that its first flagship store was in London!!! Not to mention the stand-alone stores that the company has throughout the globe (with flagship stores also in New York and Beijing)! Not bad for a company coming from a small country huh? What makes me more proud is that within 6 months I found 2 referrals to Korres products in fashion and beauty related blogs.
Who What Wear’s presentation of “Green Glamour” included Korres Cherry Full Color Gloss and comments such as “The Greek brand Korres has a cult following amongst beauty editors and product junkies” and “The brand chooses to use natural ingredients instead of synthetic products in their amazing (seriously, truly) products” surely put a big grin on my face!
Today I got the same grin again when I spotted a large image of Korres Soothing Make-Up Wipes at a post concerning “The Best 5 Makeup Wipes” at Yahoo!’s Shine. The comment that those make up wipes yielded “[…] the cleanest pores I’ve ever seen shy of going in for an actual facial” made me think that this firm actually made it by building a sound image of good quality natural products!!
Well done Korres! You really make me proud!
Going out in London: Restaurants, Bars and Clubs
November 7, 2008 at 10:18 am | In travels | Leave a CommentTags: BBB, Beach Blanket Babylon, Bedroom Bar, brazilian, Busaba Eathai, Chelsea Farmer's Market, Covent Garden, Kensington, London, mexican, Navajo Joe, Notting Hill, Rodizio Rico, ROKA, Roof Gardens, Sketch, sushi, thai, Yo! Sushi
Originally, I aimed at writing one post, but there are so many things to write and suggest about London, so I decided to split it and present the “going out” part separately
London, as every true capital, offers a variety of cuisines and restaurants to choose from. The funny thing is that I usually tend towards Asian cuisines when I’m visiting London: Sushi, Chinese, Thai, though I have some other suggestions as well!
As for the bars and clubs… well, it will take me a lifetime to visit even half of them!! So I’ll present the few ones that I’ve been (and totally adored).
Busaba Eathai
106-110 Wardour Street Soho
London W1F 0TR
As the menu informed me, Eathai is derived from the words eat and thai and yes it is a Thai restaurant. I really liked the atmosphere and those tables that remind me of family gatherings. The food was really, really good as well!!
37 Charlotte Street
London, W1T 1RR
It is a japanese restaurant actually, though I couldn’t tell that when I first hear the name. I think it must be a really posh place since I saw there the Greek Minister of Finance as well as another member of the Greek Government. Just a note though: the Maki rolls are actually 6, but the waitress was totally unable to explain that to us!!
34 King Street, Covent Garden
London WC2 8JD
As a break from Asian food, I opted for a Mexican one for change! Really nice place, very nice cocktails (try the Clockwork Orange) and delicious food! To bad I was really full and I couldn’t have dessert (the dessert of the day was chocolate cheesecake –damn!)
111 Westbourne Grove
London W2 4UW
Another Latin American restaurant, this time a Brazilian one! This is a must for meat lovers! The restaurant has a unique style of service where experienced passadors (meat carvers) pass from table to table slicing different cuts of meat from skewers onto your plate. Cool!
15 Woodstock Street Sedley Place
London W1C 2AQ
One of the most memorable sushi experiences, as you get to choose from a conveyor belt, which actually makes the process not only fun, but also you get to see what you are going to eat!!!
Chelsea Farmer’s Market
125 Sydney Street
SW3 6NR
I first spotted it while riding the bus! It was a sunny day and I liked this concept of restaurants/shops within some sort of a garden. It has a couple of restaurants (though I fail to remember their names), a couple of bookshops, a store with organic products and a flower shop/nursery garden.
45 Ledbury Road Notting Hill
London, W11 2AA
I’ve been there twice and the impressions are mixed. The first time I went for lunch and I had the best (and most expensive) burger ever! Plus I really liked the atmosphere and the decoration! The second time we went for coffee/tea but I was disappointed because the service was awful!! It took them 45’ to serve us 4 cups of tea! Give me a break! Nevertheless I believe that it is a nice place to visit!
9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
The.Best.Bar.I’ve.Ever.Been. I find the”Gallery” a really tranquil place with its total white décor and the video projections on the wall. On the other hand the East Bar is more of a hip and modern bar, as the place reminds of a capsule! Whoever is behind sketch’s concept, I think is a genius!
99 Kensington High Street (entrance Derry Street)
London W8 5SA
Located in Kensington, Roof Gardens is the ideal summer hot-spot as far as I’m concerned! To bad it was autumn when I visited it! I mean, the gardens are endless and as there is no view (there are walls all around; you truly have the impression that you are in a secret garden. The club area is lovely as well and the music is mainstream, just like I love it!
67 Rivington Street
London EC2 3AY
For the end I left an east London bar. My friends thought that I wouldn’t like it, because of its location and lack of “elegance” compared to the Roof Gardens we had visited the other day. But I did like it! Very much I must admit! Ok, the music wasn’t the best part, because you cannot dance to funky jazz, but I loved the room with the Indian décor, filled with sofas and a large elephant/Hindu god painted on one of the walls. Soooo relaxing…
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