Samos Set The Scene

A PLACE THAT INSPIRES US, WITH WOMEN WHO DO THE SAME.

Some places stay on the moodboard longer than others.

Greece has always been part of the VRG GRL story, carried through our founders’ heritage and translated into colour that catches the eye and a lasting affection for life lived in the sun.

So, it only felt right to return to one source of inspiration with another.

This September, we travelled to Samos with @yuliagm, @julietkaz, @helenacanadas and @camillabirkebaek. Four women with their own style, perspective and way of making something their own.

Not because they dress alike. Quite the opposite.

It’s individuality we’ve always been drawn to. Different styles, same standards.

For a few days, the usual could wait.

The agenda looked more like somewhere to swim, somewhere good to eat and deciding what to wear next.

Samos set the scene. The rest was personal.

OUT OF OFFICE.

The VRG GRL team arrived in Greece from two directions. Half from Australia. Half from a European detour we’ll tell you about soon.

Checked in. Bags dropped. We changed into something better suited to the setting and headed out for our first look at the island.

The charm was fairly immediate. Samos felt lived-in rather than staged, with blue water appearing between winding roads, tables set beneath the shade and bougainvillea climbing where it pleased.

Nothing felt overdone. Plenty felt worth noticing.

Our first proper taste of Greece came exactly as it should. Greek salad on Greek soil is an entirely different experience. Add a few plates of meze, something cold to drink and a table with a view.

A fitting introduction to Samos.

With plenty still to prepare, we headed back to the hotel to get everything in place before our guests arrived the next day.

A LITTLE DISTANCE FROM THE USUAL.

Day 1 under the Aegean sun. Our guests arrived from Spain, Italy, Denmark and Portugal and checked into Casa Cook Samos, set directly on a pebble beach in Potokaki near the historic village of Pythagorion

Less of an introduction and more of a reunion, our guests had already crossed paths on our Costa Brava trip.

There’s something about getting away that gives you a little more room.

More room to take your time, wear the outfit you’ve been saving for “somewhere good” and remember what you reach for when you’re simply dressing for yourself.

First stop on our agenda was early afternoon drinks at Wave Bar. A seaside setting where we sipped on local Greek wine while catching up.

The backdrop? Blue for miles.

No reason to stay in one place. Plenty of reasons to bring something different into the picture.

The wardrobe? VRG GRL.

Before it earns a place in your wardrobe, it’s earned a place in theirs.

SHARED PLATES. PERSONAL TASTE.

After a quick stop back at the hotel to freshen up, we headed to Nero&Alati.

Greek classics quickly filled the table: oysters, saganaki, tzatziki, calamari and Greek salad to start, with souvlaki to follow.

The table was made for sharing. The styling, less so.

Our guests arrived in their picks from our September collection. Something familiar here, something unexpected there. The same pieces take on a different life depending on who wore them.

By the time we made our way back to our temporary home for the week, first impressions had been made and tomorrow already had plans of its own.

Plenty of Samos left to see…

AN AEGEAN AGENDA.

For women used to having somewhere to be, there’s a particular luxury in not rushing to the next thing.

Breakfast the next morning happened at everyone’s own pace. A little time to ourselves and enough room to settle into the day before coming back together.

For some, being near the water felt like the only sensible option.

So we took the bikes to Pappa Beach, a local favourite since 1993, tucked between the cliffs with striped umbrellas and the cliffs stretching out in front of us.

Then, time for lunch.

Lola, serving traditional Greek cuisine by the sea. Meze for the table. Style to taste.

Lunch did what good lunches tend to do and lingered a little longer than planned.

Eventually, we made our way back to the hotel to reset for one final night together.

SAMOS SET THE SCENE.

Picture this: a table with a view, generous pours, plates passed around, loud laughs, the warm sea-breeze, a reason to dress up and the luxury of staying a little longer.

Our final dinner was exactly that. We dined at To Kyma, a long-standing, family-owned seaside taverna on the waterfront.

Yulia, Helena, Camilla and Juliet arrived at the table in their own way. Different tastes, different instincts and no interest in making it all match.

Familiar favourites made their way around the table: Greek salad, saganaki, tzatziki, lamb, dolmades, calamari and olives. Local Greek wine kept glasses full. Around it, the kind of company that makes you feel a little more like yourself.

Our final dinner held everything we keep coming back to Greece for: the colour that improves your mood, generosity, food made to share and an instinct for making the everyday feel a little more special.

A LITTLE MORE TO TAKE HOME.

By the final morning, the island had worked its way into more than just the camera roll.

We came to Greece because it has always been a source of inspiration. We left, reminded that inspiration rarely travels in one way.

Yulia, Helena, Camilla and Juliet brought their own instincts to the pieces that made their way into the wardrobe.

Over a few days, we saw what happens when good clothes meet women with their own ideas about how to wear them. A little distance from the usual, plenty of good company and enough room to follow whatever felt right.

Take inspiration. Leave the instructions. A wardrobe for wherever you take it next.

Samos set the scene. They made it personal.

Shop the looks

A curated edit of styles worn in Greece.

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