Fashion in Mykonos
Frequented by the stars since the 1960s, Mykonos has carved out a place for itself in the fashion world alongside Paris, Milan, London and New York. Its main town, Chora, is home to stores of major brands such as Louis Vuitton, but above all, the most renowned Greek designers. The designer Dimitris Parthenis started in Athens in 1970, but it was when he opened his shop in Little Venice Bay, Chora, that he gained international fame from 1978 onwards. His chic and simple clothes are always in demand and well suited to the Greek summer. The prices are not cheap, but the range is made in Athenian workshops. Parthenis designs can be found in two other shops in the Cyclades: Kiari in Syros and Karibu in Naxos. In addition to the jewellery of the Athenian designers Poniros or Lalaounis, Mykonos is mostly associated with a much less expensive fashion accessory. Sold for €40 to €70 a pair, Mykonos sandals can now be found all over the world. Produced in Greece, they can still be purchased locally, in Little Venice, in the historic Mykonos Sandals shop created in 1948, or in Matogianni Street at Liontis since 1956.
The marbles of Tinos, Naxos and Paros
Used since prehistoric times, the white marble of the Cyclades is still used to repair ancient monuments or to decorate the villas of billionaires. It is also used in small souvenirs (reproductions of the famous statuettes of the Cycladic civilization) or in design furniture (to be delivered rather than to be brought back in one's suitcase). Naxos and Paros, which provided the materials for the greatest Greco-Roman works, still live on this resource today. In Naxos, for example, visits are organized to the quarries and the adjoining shop. But it is on another island that the creations are the most interesting. North of Tinos, the charming village of Pyrgos has been home to half a dozen marble sculptors' workshops since the 19th century. Some of them specialize in restoration of works and contemporary creations, and some also offer training courses, such as the Hondrogiannis workshop or the Halepas museum. For faithful reproductions of Cycladic or ancient statuettes, you can also stop in Athens at the very serious Black Attic workshop-shop (in Pangrati) or in the shop of the Cycladic Arts Museum.
The arts and sweets of Andros
From the Ottoman period (1566-1832), the island of Andros has inherited the oriental sweet specialties and the wealth of its shipowners. The best glyka tou koutaliou in Greece can be found here. These "sweets with a spoon" are candied fruits in syrup that are served with coffee or as a topping for yoghurt. Everything is included: cherries, citrus fruits and even vegetables. Among these "sweets", two have earned Andros its reputation as the Mecca of candied fruit: those with lemon leaf flavoured syrup and those with whole nuts, whose shells become soft and edible thanks to the long and gentle cooking. To bring back these little calorie bombs, but also other sweets with almonds, honey or sesame, the Rodozahari pastry shop is a must in the neoclassical streets of Chora. The island's capital, located on the eastern coast, has been spared mass tourism partly due to the will of the rich local shipowning families. This is the case of the Goulandris who founded the MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Andros, here in 1979. After the visit, don't miss the view from the terrace café and the museum shop. The latter offers reproductions of the works of the painter Alekos Fassianos and the sculptor François-Xavier Lalanne, as well as designer tableware and decorative objects.
The ceramics of Sifnos
It is thanks to the presence of fireclay, water sources and combustible materials that the ceramics of Sifnos took off in prehistoric times. The island's potters then spread throughout the Mediterranean, but the tradition continues with some fifteen workshops still in existence. You can discover the traditional pottery of the Apostolidis house, founded in 1800, in Kamares, or the contemporary ones of Julie Tzanni, in Apollonia, but also take pottery courses at the Verina hotel, in Platis Gialos.
The delicacies of all the islands
Practical to bring back and easy to find everywhere in the Cyclades: aromatic and medicinal herbs. While ancient infusions of Paros dictamus or Amorgos sage will soothe you, rosemary, thyme and oregano will invite the Aegean into your kitchen. You can also bring back sun-dried tomatoes. The sweetest and rarest are those from Santorini, protected by a PDO since 2013. Thanks to its volcanic soils, strong sunshine and water supply only through dew, Santorini has other PDOs: fava (split peas), which make an excellent warm yellow puree, and wines from rare grape varieties that yield some of the best vintages in Greece. You should also pack some of the award-winning organic Amorgiano honey from Amorgos. Unfortunately, the very good fresh cheeses from Serifos or Sifnos will be more difficult to transport. But don't leave Syros without the San Michali graviera, a kind of Greek gruyere, the most famous cheese in the country.
Avoid: Santorini counterfeits
As the number one country for counterfeiting in the European Union, Greece is definitely not the right place to buy a French handbag or luxury perfume. In 2020, the LVMH group secured the "historic" seizure of more than a million bottles bearing the Dior, Guerlain and Kenzo labels that were illegally produced in Crete. Unfortunately, fakes are still commonplace in the most touristic places of the Cyclades, especially in the streets of Fira, in Santorini. And you don't need to be a specialist to spot the scam: poor finish, lack of authentication, sales on the sly... You should know that in France, checks are carried out when planes return from Greece. Article 414 of the customs code provides for the confiscation of your counterfeit purchase, a fine of 2 to 3 times the price of the copied product and prison in the case of organised trafficking.
