For a new generation of musicians, artists, designers, photographers and creative insiders, Athens is more than a backdrop. It is raw material, a field of observation and a daily current of energy. Through its light and its chaos, its neighborhoods, rooftops, bars, hills and hidden corners, the city finds its way into the work of ten creative Athenians, influencing not only what they create but also how they move through life.

Sissi Pappa

Fashion designer

Sissi Pappa is the fashion designer behind Yphasma Studio, a label focused on artisanal construction techniques and carefully sourced fabrics.

Your muse? I don’t think my work would be the same if I hadn’t discovered fashion through the artisans and old fabric shops tucked between Athinaidos, Aghiou Markou and Athinas streets, an area often referred to as the tailors’ triangle. Some of the most valuable techniques, materials and sources of inspiration came to me by stepping into obscure old supply shops and antique stores, and by meeting the people who continue to contribute to Athens’ artisanal landscape.

Your spot? I live near Lycabettus Hill, so I hike there almost every day for the fresh air and the view. I like looking out over the terraces and imagining the different lives taking place in the city. 

When I have the time, I like driving down to Piraeus, especially Kastella, perched high above the port. I could spend hours walking its quiet streets. Growing up in a small neighborhood in Patras made me feel naturally connected to places that feel more intimate: neoclassical houses, steep stairways, the sense of being close to the sea. Kastella gives me exactly that feeling.

Marilena Stathopoulou

Fashion designer

After leaving the corporate world to study fashion design, Marilena Stathopoulou now runs an independent fashion project in Kypseli.

Your muse? Athens is at the center of my digital textile prints. I’m drawn to its contrasts: different eras, disparate aesthetics, vivid shop signs and strange constructions all coexist under the constantly shifting light. My work captures streets, ancient ruins, modern buildings and overlooked details, translating them into limited collections of unique fashion pieces with clean silhouettes and gender-neutral lines.

Your spot? I love wandering around Kypseli, where every street seems to reveal a new story. I enjoy its mix of cultures and styles: from women who’ve lived here since the 1960s and still dress up for a Sunday morning walk, to contemporary street-style looks. Here, the neighborhood experience is still alive. Walking along Fokionos Negri; stopping at Remoundos, the corner bakery that opened in 1953; having lunch at family-run restaurants serving cuisines from around the world; and spending time in traditional kafeneia or at Iznogood & Nephew, listening to good music – it’s got something for everyone.

Apostolos Zanias

Perfumer

Apostolos Zanias studied journalism and film directing before getting involved with music and eventually perfumery. He is the founder of the fragrance brand St. Narcissus.

Your muse? Athens inspires me through its many layers: the archaeological presence, the industrial jungle, and the eccentric personalities that define the city center. One place that has influenced me deeply is Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, which even inspired one of my fragrances. Walking there, with its ancient stone and scents of orange blossom, bitter orange trees, fig trees and earthy notes, has a calming effect on me.

Your spot? I love Exarchia and Psyrri. Although both neighborhoods have changed a great deal in recent years, and much of their character has faded, there’s still a certain kindness among the longtime residents who defined these areas. To me, they remain true old neighborhoods. I’m deeply moved by simple, everyday human connection, and in these parts of Athens I continue to find inspiration in both the older people and the younger, style-conscious personalities walking the streets.

Michalis Kamakas

Journalist, DJ

Michalis Kamakas is a journalist and radio producer at Kosmos 93.6, where he hosts Urban Sounds. He is also a DJ, documentary filmmaker, and the producer and presenter of ERT’s Urban Live Sounds sessions.

Your muse? Nighttime Athens always follows me back into the studio. Through my work as a DJ and my close connection to the city’s music scene, I absorb the sounds, moods, and energy moving through Athens and carry them into the way I do each show, from the music I choose to the thoughts I share on air.

Your spot? In addition to a few favorite bars scattered across the city, one place I return to again and again is Beniamin, the all-day bar on Messolongiou Square in Pangrati. The square feels like a quiet pause amid the city’s constant motion, and that same sense of calm is reflected in the people who run the place. I can start my morning there with a laptop and a book, and easily stay until dusk with a cold beer, sometimes alone, sometimes joined by friends passing through.

Olina

Indie-pop musician

Olina is an indie-pop musician, lyricist and performer based in Athens. Since 2021, she’s been creating dreamy melodies with Greek lyrics. In February 2026, she released her second album, Ti se Sygkinise? (“What Moved You?”) on the record label Mellowsophy Music.

Your muse? Athens has a way of imposing itself on you. That is why I feel it slips into everything: into my songs about farmers’ markets, but also into bars, small balconies, and the blue of a sky that often feels melancholic. For me, Athens is not just a setting you observe from a distance and judge for its beauty or its ugliness. It’s something you participate in. If you’re curious enough to really pay attention, to watch it and listen to it carefully, it offers endless inspiration.

Your spot? Ardittos Hill, in Mets. There, the rhythmic pulse of runners at the Panathenaic Stadium echoes against the marble, and nature quietly takes over through birdsong, barking dogs, and the slow drag of a turtle crawling across the ground. The sounds of the city fade to a whisper. You can barely hear them.

Lilena Marinou

Filmmaker and photographer

Lilena Marinou is a filmmaker and photographer based in Athens. She studied Film & TV Production at NYU Tisch and, in 2026, became the first arts program curator at Panathēnea Festival, helping launch its inaugural arts stages dedicated to film and music.

Your muse? The light of Athens gives me strength on difficult days and joy on good ones. I spent my early twenties in New York, but it’s in Athens that I found my more grounded, confident self. My relationship with the city feels like an investment both in my own growth and in where I belong.

Your spot? My favorite place is the small stone Tower of Anthousa, built during the Ottoman period, which you reach through the hiking trails in the forest of Mt Hymettus. It stands on a hillside, not far from the city center, with sweeping views of the entire Athens basin. I usually start at Kaisariani Monastery, stop at Kalopoula for a juice and to feed the turtles, and end up at the tower for a picnic.

Douglas Martin Eveleigh

Photographer

Douglas Martin Eveleigh is a photographer from Massachusetts, now based in Athens.

Your muse? I’m inspired by Athens’ chaotic slowness, its daily rituals and its appreciation of simple pleasures. Working in a city so resistant to change has allowed me to capture a kind of nostalgia for the present. Perhaps the feeling I get here is only momentary, soon to be paved over by the rush of new developments. But for now, Athens keeps one foot in the past, and that is a gift.

Your spot? I can claim no ownership over my favorite place in Athens, Foyer Espresso Bar in Pangrati, but it could certainly claim me any day of the week. I try to pass by at least twice a week and stay seated there for an hour, without a care in the world. I go there to drink, to talk, to meet old friends and new ones, and to simply enjoy being alive.

Sotiris “Soteur” Fokeas

Artist

Sotiris “Soteur” Fokeas is a visual artist and street artist whose work draws on neo-pop aesthetics, blending humor with social commentary. His practice ranges from street murals and paintings shown in galleries and museums to collaborations with beloved cafés, bars, shops and international brands.

Your muse? Athens is beautiful and ugly at the same time, full of chaos, smells, flavors and stressed-out people. But the light and clear skies make it all worth it. I smile just thinking about it. I’ve never lived elsewhere; I’ve chosen to stay here all my life. Athens is part of who I am and what I create.

Your spot? My studio, Studio Lavra, is my oasis and my playground. Even though it’s where I work, it’s where I feel most at ease. Besides that, long walks through central Athens help me reset. I can wander for hours through streets and alleyways, just observing everything. After that, I feel completely recalibrated.

Michail Keskinidis

Bike courier and entrepreneur

Born in Athens, Michail Keskinidis first immersed himself in BMX culture while studying in Larissa. He later reconnected with cycling while living in California’s Bay Area, and today runs a specialized bike courier service in the Greek capital.

Your muse? From a cyclist’s perspective, Athens is a raw diamond, offering every kind of terrain: constant climbs, almost no flat routes, three surrounding mountains over 1000 meters high, and a coastline that changes character with every ride. Its layers of  history means there’s always something new to discover. Cycling culture is still developing here, but that challenge is part of its appeal.

Your spot? The place I feel most connected to is the National Gardens. In the middle of all the noise and concrete, it feels like a small oasis. It’s where my parents took me as a child, where I now spend time with my son, and my favorite stop for a short break, lunch between deliveries, or a quiet pause before the next work call.

Vasiliki Koukou

Artist

Vasiliki Koukou is a graduate of the Athens School of Fine Arts, with solo and group exhibitions in Athens and abroad.

Your muse? Athens inspires me through its contrasts. Ancient myths, memories and emotions exist alongside the reality of the contemporary city. I’m especially drawn to the small traces of nature that persist, even with the concrete: plants growing through cracks, wildflowers beside abandoned buildings, moments of unexpected softness within the urban landscape. In my work, too, people, plants and hybrid creatures all seem to inhabit the same shared ecosystem.

Your spot? I feel deeply connected to the old quarries of Psychiko. Over time, they’ve become almost mythological in my imagination, as though an entire hidden world exists beneath the surface. Lately, I’ve also found comfort at Pied à Terre, the small French bistro in Ilisia. There’s a particular table I always gravitate toward, tucked beneath one of my own works hanging on the wall.