One of the things I love about Kypseli is that, among its cafés, old neighbourhood shops and busy streets, you keep discovering small independent businesses run by people who create something very personal of their own.
If you like buying something with a story behind it rather than something you could find anywhere, these are three small women-owned businesses worth discovering — from handmade jewellery to carefully selected vintage and one-of-a-kind reworked clothes.
GOOSKOO — handmade jewellery by Sofia on Agias Zonis
GOOSKOO is a small jewellery shop on Agias Zonis where all the pieces are handmade. If you like small businesses and local designers like me, this shop is not to be missed. Sofia designs and makes her own pieces right here in the neighbourhood.
If you're looking for a special gift to take home from Athens — or simply something for yourself — I think a handmade piece by a local designer makes a much nicer souvenir than something from a tourist shop.
My personal note: This is exactly the kind of small neighbourhood business I like to support: personal, independent and handmade.
Hazel Rey Vintage — carefully chosen pre-loved pieces
Hazel Rey is another small independent vintage shop, created by Evdoxia, who personally selects the pieces that make it into the collection. The emphasis here is on curated vintage and pre-loved clothing rather than simply filling racks with second-hand clothes and the smell that goes with them. Each piece is chosen individually, which gives the shop a much more personal identity.
I haven't visited this one yet either, but it's exactly the sort of small neighbourhood business I like discovering, and it's now part of my list.
My personal note: One for anyone who enjoys the hunt for a beautiful vintage piece rather than shopping from the usual high-street brands.
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Seven Sisters Ath — vintage with a creative twist
Seven Sisters is much more than a traditional second-hand shop. Alongside carefully selected vintage pieces, you'll find one-off reworked clothes and handmade accessories, giving old pieces a completely new life.
What I particularly like about this idea is that you're not only buying second-hand. You're finding something individual that has been selected, altered or reinvented rather than simply taken from one wardrobe and put into another. This one is on my own list to explore properly.
My personal note: If you like clothes that nobody else is likely to be wearing, this is definitely one to look at.
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Shop small, discover something different
What connects these places is the person behind them. These kinds of small businesses give a neighbourhood its personality — and that's one of the reasons I enjoy living in Kypseli.
So if you have a little time during your stay, wander away from the big shopping streets and see what treasures you might discover. And maybe you will go home with something that reminds you of Athens without having “Athens” written all over it.
