"The beauty of fragrance”, as Elizabeth Taylor once famously said, “is that it speaks to your heart and hopefully someone else's”. This is certainly the case with art director Alexandros Kalogiros and set designer and creative director Dimitra Louana Marlanti, whose shared passion for all things olfactory led them to launch PHĀON, a new concept store in Athens, Greece, offering a curated selection of fragrances, scent related products and flower arrangements. Designed in collaboration with Athens-based artist and interior designer Stamos Michael, whose aesthetic perfectly aligned with their own, the intimate store is a treasure trove of eclectic perfumes, custom-made objects and artful details, welcoming customers in an environment that harmoniously balances modernity and tradition, much like the timeless scents it celebrates.

The idea for a perfume store arose quite organically when Alexandros and Dimitra returned to Athens during the COVID-19 pandemic after spending most of their adult lives in Italy, working in fashion, design and advertising. “Like many others, we began questioning everything during this time”, they told Yatzer in a recent chat. It was during this time that they first met, bonding over “a shared aspiration to create something personal and tactile using their experiences”. Struggling to find the products they were accustomed to having in their daily lives in Italy, they realized there was a gap in the market for unique, niche perfumes; and hey presto, PHĀON was born.

Introducing flowers was an instinctive decision; “flowers perfectly complement our fragrances and are deeply connected to many facets of life, symbolizing the gesture of giving”, they explain. “This addition also brings a diverse flow of people into the store, including those who may not be seeking niche perfumes but can still experience our world through a bouquet of flowers.” Their mission to create a venue that transcends the narrow confines of a perfume shop is also reflected in the store’s name which is derived from Greek mythology: Phaon an elderly and unattractive ferryman from the island of Lesbos who was transformed into a young and handsome youth by the goddess Aphrodite as a reward for his kindness, to become a symbol of the transformative power of love and beauty.

Conceived as a “container” where the products could take centre stage, the store’s design space was inspired by the concept of the various accords in perfumery—the harmonious blend of different notes that together create a unified and pleasing fragrance. To this end, Stamos artfully combined seemingly contradictory materials and styles, mixing industrial elements with natural materials and handcrafted details to striking effect.

Two modular displays made of laser cut stainless steel and frosted acrylic surfaces – one of which is backlit to enhance the silhouettes of the perfume bottles, the other incorporating the flower fridge – imbue the space with sleek industrial vibes. In contrast, a handcrafted sculptural counter coated in mocha-hued limewash and incorporating a white marble sink pays homage to the rich heritage of Mediterranean artisanal culture, as does a series of matching pedestal-like product stands. A natural jute carpet brings everything together while curtains lining the storefront evoke a sense of mystery blurring the line between the private and public perception of the space.

Every element in the store has been custom-made, from the aforementioned furnishings to artful details such as the handwoven rattan handles playfully adorning the stainless-steel cabinets and drawers, the handcrafted striated wall finish that brings to mind Chantilly cream, and the ceramic lotus flowers that decorate the product displays that sculptress and performer Despina Charitonidi handcrafted using iron rods sourced from building sites.

Dimitra and Alexandros’ passion for artisanship also extends to the bespoke vases, candle holders and incense holders that they commissioned to carry the store’s products. “Since the very beginning we wanted to involve artists in PHĀON”, the duo told us. Examples include vases by renowned ceramist Egidio Milesi who has been creating prototypes for the most prestigious Italian brands for thirty years, gold-plated solid bronze candle holders by Vasiliki, Kiki Karayannis’ Athens-based jewellery studio, and gold-plated solid brass incense holders by jewellery designer Margarita Chrisaki.

Needless to say, the selection of perfumes on sale is as eclectic as the store’s design. “We have spent months traveling and trying samples before finally deciding what we would include in our selection this first year”, Dimitra and Alexandros explain. “We selected perfumes based on that we personally love, could envision a friend wearing, or evoke memories.” The selection includes brands like Astier de Villatte, Atelier Materi, Ormaie Paris, Perfumer H, and Santa Maria Novella. Suffice it to say that they applied their selection to other scent-related products such as incense and candles, while flowers vary based on availability and seasonal constraints. “We prioritize using Greek producers in order to reduce our CO2 footprint and support the local market, currently offering just one bouquet arrangement each week to minimize waste.”

When asked about their favourite flowers, Alexandros mentions his preference for the bitter orange blossoms, jasmine and wisteria. Dimitra on the other hand, says she’s currently into carnations, a flower that holds a special place in Greek culture, viewed as it is as a symbol of love, admiration and distinction. Nowadays used mostly in churches and cemeteries to adorn altars and tombstones as well as at Greece’s popular live music venues, known as ‘bouzoukia’ where they are thrown onto the stage at the performing singers, it is nevertheless rarely chosen for arrangements in “high end” flower shops, a paradox that Dimitra finds very intriguing.

Plans currently in the pipeline include offering limited-edition objects crafted exclusively for PHĀON, organizing workshops with artists whose practices involve sensory exploration, and launching a series of flower bouquets composed by renowned designers and artists later on this year. With such a deep love and obvious passion for what they do, their infectious obsession with the magical world of perfumery, scents and flowers is destined to captivate and inspire the hearts and minds of their ever-growing discerning clientele.