Shore footed

Fashion / Travel

When designer Christina Martini moved from Paris to an idyllic part of Corfu, everything changed for her. But she hasn’t settled into a secluded island life. She founded a shoe brand and now lives on an olive farm, enjoying the best of both worlds.

On an early morning, when the air is still damp and cool, Christina Martini hikes down the steep rocky path to the twin beaches of Porto Timoni. There are only two ways to reach the picturesque bays on the northwest of Corfu: either on foot from Afionas, one of the oldest villages on the island, or by boat. Martini, who is wearing an olive-green shirt over denim shorts, has opted for the overland route. Wild thyme, sage and oregano grow to the right and left of the path. The higher the sun rises, the more intense their ethereal scent becomes. Every now and then, Martini stops to appreciate the view of the Ionian Sea. “I am a city girl,” she initially replied to her husband, product designer Apostolos Porsanidis-Kavvadias, when he suggested she leave Paris. “And now we have been living on the island for 13 years,” says the co-founder and creative director of Ancient Greek Sandals, with a laugh. Nowadays she only travels to Athens, where she and her husband grew up and where her company is based whenever necessary.

Even if it seems hard to imagine it this morning, the decision to go to Corfu was not an easy one for her at the time. As far as her career was concerned, Martini had already reached Olympus. She lived in Paris for eight years, six of which she spent working as a designer for Louis Vuitton, developing women’s shoes for the luxury brand before Balenciaga poached her. This was followed by a two-year collaboration with Nicolas Ghesquière, for whom she also designed the women’s shoe collection. “I was 33 when I became pregnant with my son, Stefanos,” she says. “At the time, Apostolos was working as a product designer for architect Rena Dumas, wife of Hermès’s ceo, Jean-Louis Dumas. He had the idea of taking a break on Corfu.” 

Martini steps up to a rocky outcrop. Directly below her are the two turquoise-blue bays, separated by a strip of land barely 50 paces wide. “Isn’t it marvellous? I’ve hiked here many times before and know what to expect but the moment you reach the viewpoint it is breathtaking every time. We were here last time with the children. If you’ve spent the day down on the beach, you can get picked up again by boat.”

Now it’s just a few more turns downhill to a footbridge, overgrown with low bushes, that provides access to both beaches. Martini opts for the western one and settles down on a rock in the centre of the bay close to the water. “In general, I find nothing more rewarding than walking to a secluded beach,” says Martini, taking off her shoes. “Going to the sea in the summer is my favourite thing in the world. Every time I am close to it I feel immense happiness and tranquillity.”

For her husband, Corfu is a place with many childhood memories. His grandfather, an orthopaedic surgeon, had bought 20 hectares of land here in the 1950s and the family spent their summers here. When it was time for the couple to start their own family in 2010, they returned for a one-year maternity leave on the island. “And that year I met Nikolas,” says Martini. Nikolas Minoglou, scion of a family of shoe manufacturers, wanted to launch a sandal collection. “I’m a big fan of traditional Greek leather shoes myself, so I designed about three-dozen models. Maria Lemos, owner of the Rainbowwave showroom, believed in us and showed them in Paris in 2012. We sold 6,000 pairs straight away,” says Martini, taking a sip from her water bottle, explaining that the collection now consists of 150 handmade models for men and women.

Greek mythology, as well as the country’s rich history and artistic heritage, its ancient jewellery and traditional craft techniques provide the designer with a constant flow of inspiration. “For the brand’s 10th anniversary in 2022, I worked with art historian Xenia Ventikou to research the sandals of female Greek statues located abroad,” says Martini with a smile. “It wasn’t always easy to give these marble shoes a contemporary functionality.”

Nevertheless, how easy is it to balance an internationally successful collection with company headquarters and production in Athens – and her life on the island? Martini insists that it’s fine. “I’ve worked from Corfu right from the start, so we have adapted our company structure and processes to these circumstances,” she says, admitting that the change was profound. “I moved from a city to an island, from a rather small apartment to a huge farm,” she says as she climbs over a large boulder. ”Nevertheless, I would never stay in Corfu if I didn’t have a fulfilling job. And the only way I could have a job is creating something of my own. I was working for Balenciaga. I couldn’t leave everything behind and become a farmer.”

Despite the demands of the family’s farmstead, Martini works very regular hours from her studio in Corfu town on the third-floor of a magnificent 19th-century building in the picturesque Mouragia district. The balcony of her sky-blue studio overlooks the island of Vido. A flock of swallows perform aerial tricks outside her window. “I work a five-day week and come here for seven or eight hours a day,” she says of her schedule. The studio, basically a stately flat spread over two floors, is her refuge, especially in the calm morning hours. An assistant has her desk in the next room. At 17.00, Martini usually leaves the studio to go swimming with her children, or to visit one of her favourite restaurants in the Italian-style alleyways of Corfu town. “When we moved here my stress levels got lower,” she says. “I feel healthier in general. Corfu is a humid island so my skin benefits a lot and I sleep much more deeply.” Martini details how pilates and controlled articular rotations twice a week maintain her joint mobility. “Last June, I was given a stand-up paddleboard as a present,” she says. “Now I don’t just go swimming, I’m also passionate about paddling.”

For aquatic activities, she prefers the beaches of Saint George in the north, Marathias in the south, Glyfada in the west, or Barbati, the pebble beach closest to her home. “In summer we take our little boat to Vido island or other small bays to swim away from the crowds,” she says. “In the winter we usually have friends over and we all cook together, drink and chill. Just by coincidence most of our friends happen to be chefs and patissiers so food is usually the main theme of our gatherings.”

As we arrive at the family’s olive farm in the northern part of the island in Tzavros, about 10km from Corfu town, it’s clear that Martini and Porsanidis-Kavvadias have created a paradise for themselves. They share the sprawling property with a coterie of animals: three roosters and 40 chickens walk the property daily in solemn processions; 13 cats stalk through the tall grass of the olive groves; two good-natured cane corso dogs, Blondie and Baba, laze on the terrace of their whitewashed farmhouse. “I love animals, especially chickens,” says Martini, smirking as a flock of them scurry by. “They call me the chicken whisperer.” She turns towards the big white farmhouse. “We have remodelled the 18th-century building, which was used as a summer house by the grandparents, and renovated the stable and a storehouse for overnight guests. The 200-year-old olive press made from wood and stone, which still belongs to the family, is not in use but it inspired my husband to produce his own olive oil.” Porsanidis-Kavvadias now sells the multi-award-winning, polyphenol-rich Lianolia oil under the name of his grandfather, Dr Kavvadia.

We eat a meal of chard and courgettes, stuffed vine leaves, artichoke hearts and pickled sardines, with fava and grilled aubergines, some of which come from their own vegetable garden. “I like to cook a few things like lentils, spinach and rice,” says Martini. “And I love making pies and salads. But the main cook in the house is Apostolos. Corfu is famous for its fish recipes and dishes but the garden provides our vegetables so we eat them in season. There are plenty of herbs on the farm but the one I personally collect and dry out is nettle, which is good for the hair. I drink it as a tea and use it to rinse my hair after shampooing.” Martini lets her gaze wander over the wild meadows. Here and there, a soft glow penetrates the twilight. The firefly wedding season has begun. 

Konfekt,
Summer 2024