ATHENS, Greece - “I always wanted to do something different and more classy,” says Mrs. Vasiliki, the former logistics finance manager. “When I opened Bisbe in 1995, most of the shops looked alike and had a New York style. I wanted to do something that would remind us of a Parisian boutique and would exude French flair and romance.” The Baroque sofa, at the dress room, is very impressive. The client feels like a V.I.P. when the coffee is served in vintage Tiffany dinnerware. The only thing that she has to do is to enjoy her shopping. “I always like to satisfy my clients and make them feel special. I wanted to give them the feeling that shopping is amusement and not a chore,” she says and pours coffee into her coffee cup.
“Two fashion designers that I admire the most, and I was selling their clothes here, are Jean-Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood. They offer fashion something more challenging. Their clothes tell a story and each piece has a spirit.” She demonstrates her Vivienne Westwood skirt that she had bought 20 years ago. “I like the combination of a white t-shirt with a very unique piece, such as this. I’m a great fan of this fashion forward combination, and it never goes out of style.” She also admires Coco Chanel who invented modernism in fashion.
“When I visit other countries to place next season orders, I get very excited! I cannot wait to visit to France or Italy and start searching for new designers and new trends. This is the point when the real journey begins!” she says and she reminisces a verse of Cavafis’ poem Ithaka that wishes to the reader a journey full of adventure and discovery.
“As you set out for Ithaca hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery…” C.P. Cavafis (1863 - 1933)
“I strongly believe that shopping has an element of eroticism. When I shop, I like to touch and feel the fabrics of the clothes. I enjoy the whole process of shopping. To be honest, I hate to shop through internet. It is very impersonal.”
This is Bisbe, a small Athenian boutique where fashion comes and goes, but whose owner makes sure that style is what makes her clients different and unique.
Mrs Vasiliki has so many crazy-but-true stories to tell that she has already started to write them down. “I want to publish a book with stories of everyday female madness. Would you want to read some of them?” she asked.
Who wouldn’t love to read about her crazy-but-true fashion stories? σ