Four women meet in a space of creating and sharing in the city center. Two young women, Aphrodite and Eleni create from scratch their own business, which gradually grows embracing all aspects of creativity. In front of us, their own journey unfolds, till they meet their Ithaca.
1. Is there a story behind the name FIERA?
Eleni: There is a story! Firstly, fiera is a Latin word; it has different meanings, one in Italy and another in Spain. Generally, it means “celebration”, “fair”, or in its more extreme version it means “wild animal”.
The inspiration for the name, however, was a song by Active Member, “Fiera”. I used to listen to it as a teenager- it was one of my favorite songs, as it is a very allegorical and symbolic song- and that is something we have in common with Aphrodite. So, because we are very intense as a combination, the inspiration came from there. If you listen to the song, you will see it. It reflects us.
2. What was the main inspiration behind your decision to start your own business?
Aphrodite: It was exactly what the question says, we envisioned a space that would feel like a second home. We didn’t want strictly a shop, but a workshop which would function as a meeting place for people with whom we would build a special bond. We wanted a place where we could create our jewelry and other products, but also have the ability to be seen by people. Then, we wanted to have a workshop, a space where other people could come and create with us. So, the main idea was this: to create a space where we all create and evolve together.
3. What is your personal view of womanhood in the business world?
E: We are very supportive of each other – we have, after all, built a very large circle of businesswomen- and we believe that this practice should be spread more widely in the business world. I think it is very important that women from different backgrounds are active in a field that until, let’s say, ten years ago it had a predominantly male identity. I like to see a lot of small businesses being created by women now. I think that we take on many things and combine them; women are essentially multi-taskers.
A: I think that we have a naturally different energy, so this helps us support each other and create wider circles.
E: The empathy we also have makes us connect more to our job.
4. What lead to the creation of your first piece of jewelry and what feelings did it evoke?
A: I think this is one of my favorite questions, since we do not usually give ourselves space and time to say “good job” for starting all this. Every time we achieve a goal, we usually move on to the next one instead of enjoying the moment. This is one of the things that we are working on.
All this was created in a living room and then on a balcony during quarantine. Our first materials came to our hands completely by accident. They were things that we weren’t really familiar with, and we were trying to manage, which were also a bit unrelated. I remember some things that have developed entirely differently now. For example, at the time we had the idea to name our products after islands, so one of our favorite early designs was “Folegandros”- a green, slightly longer bohemian necklace, with florins and things like that. I think we were happier back then because we combined a very difficult period for most people with our creative nature. I think that a lot of people turned to that, which showed us how close we should be to this aspect of ourselves.
5. Where do you find inspiration and how do you deal with the lack of it?
E: This is a question we are asked a lot and it’s the most difficult question one can ask us, because honestly, sometimes, even we don’t know. It’s very difficult to have a shop and to constantly have to create things- after all, we all know that every day we deal with many things and being creative through it all is very difficult.
Generally, we find inspiration in the streets, from anything we can see there; even something at a shop that has nothing to do with ours. We look for different artists, different artistic accounts, influences, movements. We also really like anything second hand, so sometimes we find inspiration there. We might even have something in our mind that we cannot find commercially, so we start looking for ways to create it ourselves.
When we lack inspiration, precisely because we are quite different, but simultaneously very similar, one pushes the other.
A: One of us might disagree. It happens. It is, nevertheless, healthy to disagree especially with people with whom we interact a lot.
E: We disagree in a useful way, to get the best outcome each time. There are no bad feelings. It’s the only way to get through the tough days- and, believe me, there have been many.
6. What is your daily motto and how often do you repeat it to yourselves?
E and A: A general motto we have had for a while is “Trust your creativity”. And bringing back the previous question, sometimes your instinct urges you to do things that you cannot explain at that moment, but ones that your creative nature has urged you to do. So, we trust it and try to listen to it. We have even written it down, to have as a daily reminder. Because, really, not all days are the same, so sometimes we need a tap on the shoulder, and we do that ourselves. We have realized that if you are not the ones to do it, no one else will do it for us.
7. What is the relationship you have built with your audience?
E and A: When we launched our site, we had a great relationship with the audience. Both via text messages and in person, we try to build a relationship based on trust. We like it when people appreciate our creations, whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a cuddle, or a decorative piece. Many people also come to the workshops we organize, and that helps us build a more friendly relationship- because when you have a four-hour workshop, by the end you develop a friendship with someone. We’ve even made friends though our audience, people who now come back all the time and support us. We appreciate them a lot and we are thankful every day, because they have turned us into the brand we are today- it goes without saying that our own character is there, but our audience has created everything we are. If it wasn’t for the audience, we wouldn’t be able to create a shop, so, if we owe anything to anyone, it’s to ourselves and to our audience; equally.
A: The workshops have helped a lot with that. I think that’s what’s missing these days. You interact with others and build a relationship, which in another environment would certainly not exist.
E: It’s almost like group therapy.
Femininity, entrepreneurship, creation, inspiration, and a smile. The five elements that make up a very promising vision. From a balcony to the heart of the city and from the starting point of uncertainty to the certainty of the future, the girls will continue to reveal their creative nature to us!
