Astoria Aesthetic
New boutique of fers a slice of Greek island life
14 SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1
BY ALLISON KRIDLE
EXPLORE YOUR BORO
Astoria has had a flourishing
Greek community since
the end of the 19th century,
so it’s safe to say that
a lot of Greek culture has
been mirrored in Astoria —
especially the relaxed and
community-oriented atmosphere.
Marianthi Vlachos, an Astoria resident
and Greek American, wants to
make the Greek lifestyle even more
accessible to our little city oasis
through her store, Hellenic Aesthetic.
Vlachos originally created her jewelry
and lifestyle brand as an online
shop in 2017. The brick-and-mortar
Hellenic Aesthetic opened up on 31st
Street in June, continuing Vlachos’ goal
of bringing imported Greek goods to
American customers.
“Whether you're familiar with Greek
culture or not, Hellenic Aesthetic is another
place to enjoy a form of Greek
design,” Vlachos said. “I want it to be an
enjoyable experience from an aesthetic
standpoint. It’s a place to put your mind at
ease, to slow down and adapt to the Mediterranean
lifestyle and point of view.”
Vlachos’ shop is curated with women’s
clothing, jewelry, accessories, highly specialized
Greek foods, housewares, books and
even art by Greek artists. All products come
straight from the Greek islands or were designed
by Vlachos herself.
“I was spending a lot of time traveling back
and forth and seeing cool brands in Greece. I
especially loved everything I was seeing in Athens.
I thought, ‘Why can't these products be sold
in America?’ I just thought there were products
sold in Greece that could be sold here and I
searched high and low and couldn't find another
shop that does this,” Vlachos said.
While the small business owner grew up in
Tampa Bay, Florida, she was born in Bayside,
Queens. As a kid and into adulthood, Vlachos
spent summers in Greece visiting family, and
she traveled there frequently for buying trips
before COVID-19 hit. The Astoria resident recalls
taking empty suitcases to Greece as a
child and filling them with goodies and souvenirs
that her friends would covet as she wore
them to school. At that time, one could only
get those products in Greece.
“There is nothing more inspirational than
being in Greece. I design some products for
Hellenic Aesthetic and then have Greek manufacturers
make it, and a lot of inspiration for
designs came from products that my parents
and grandparents bought for me when I was a
kid. There was a big tourism boom in Greece
in the 1970s and my mom would go and visit
her family and bring me back some souve-