Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.03.2013, Side 26

Grænn Kostur | Skólavördustíg 8b
101 Reykjavík | Sími: 552 2028
www.graennkostur.is
Opening hours:
Mon - Sat. 11:30 - 21:00
Sun. 13:00 - 21:00
The Green Choice
Premium Quality Vegetarian Food
• Vegetarian dishes
• Vegan dishes
• Bakes and soups
• Wholesome cakes
• Raw food deserts
• Coffee and tea
Grænn Kostur is the perfect downtown choice
when you are looking for wholesome great tasting meals.
Vegetarian Dish of the Day
1.680 kr.
26The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 3 — 2013
Recognising this in 2010, Gréta Hlöðversdóttir co-founded Reykjavík
Concierge, a company specialising in getting tourists acquainted with
all facets of Iceland’s burgeoning design scene, from the traditional wool
sweaters to the latest fashions and designers.
MORE THAN THE NATURE
Reykjavík Concierge offers a wide range of design and culture tour op-
tions, from trips for those who only have a few hours to shop before
catching their flight back home to day-long “VIP” trips where guests are
chauffeured around town and exposed to a wide range of uniquely Ice-
landic shops and boutiques. The idea is to give visitors a more holistic
Icelandic experience, Gréta says.
“The tours augment peoples’ visits. People are so used to going to
the Blue Lagoon, doing the same things, so you have to kind of change
their mind-set and show them there’s more than that,” Gréta says. “Es-
pecially when people come for the second or third time, it’s nice to see
something new.”
As an added feature to the customised VIP tours and pre-arranged
group shopping tours, the service also offers visitors the opportunity to
see designer workshops and studios. Gréta says they have a relationship
with nearly every designer or clothing company in Iceland. Tours are
thus highly customisable and guests are free to pick and choose whom
they’d like to visit.
Each visit also includes something extra, such as a tasting of Icelandic
chocolate or herb tea, she says. Most recently, the service has started of-
fering tours of designers’ workshops on the Reykjanes peninsula, which
is geared toward guests on their way to the airport.
SPREADING ICELANDIC DESIGN
Gréta attributes the growing design scene to the formation of Iceland's
Academy of the Arts in 1998, which houses a design and architecture de-
partment. The institution is young, but Gréta says it produces a number
of designers who are garnering attention on a worldwide scale.
“Now the school is internationally recognised; they’re doing things
that are comparable to other places in the world,” she says. “I think it’s
important to try to promote the designers, because it’s a small country
and no designer can live in Iceland alone.”
With each guest, visit and tour, Icelandic design creeps a little further
from its confines on a tiny nation in the Atlantic. - KIRSTEN O’BRIEN
GROUP SHOPPING TOURS
A three to four hour tour for a group of four or
more that introduces guests to Icelandic design.
It includes a free chocolate, food or tea tasting.
Price: from 9,900 ISK per person
STOPOVER TOURS
A three to four hour tour where guests visit the
Reykjanes Peninsula. Groups of four or more
can visit the home or workshops of designers in
the area.
Price: from 9,900 ISK per person
VIP TOURS
A highly customisable tour that caters to the
guest budget, taste and interests. The tour in-
cludes transportation, Tax Free refund guidance,
a local tasting and chances to meet designers.
Price: from 12,900 ISK per hour
To put the Reykjavík Concierge services to the test,
I set up a “mock” tour as if I were buying gifts for
family and friends back home in Seattle. Typically,
this sort of VIP tour starts at 12,900 ISK per hour,
and would involve a chauffeured car ride around
the city, an English-speaking guide and several
hours to shop, eat and see the city. In my case, it
involved an afternoon of brainstorming and email-
ing. Nevertheless, I received a variety of recom-
mendations for everyone I listed.
MOM
Description: My mom would most appreciate
something from a cute home décor or design
store, such as a nice vase, tablecloth, area rug or
decorative candleholder. She loves autumn co-
lours, so anything amber, orange, yellow or red-
dish is good!
Budget: 20.000 ISK (approx. $155)
Recommendation: “We would recommend a visit
to the small boutique Kirsuberjatréð (located at
Vesturgata 4), which offers ceramics and home
decor in natural and vibrant colours.”
FRIEND
Description: My friend Hilary is turning 23. Her
style is pretty relaxed. She is a big fan of leather
boots and Fossil handbags and accessories, and
I'd like to get her a leather wallet or a purse from
an Icelandic designer. She is a big fan of casual
dresses too.
Budget: 13.000 ISK (approx. $100)
Recommendation: “Visit the Icelandic designer
Andrea at her boutique and workshop (the shop,
Atelier & Boutique, is located at Strandgata 19 in
Hafnarfjörður). You can find all sorts of beautiful
and casual dresses similar to these and accesso-
ries for a reasonable price.”
BROTHER
Description: My brother is 19 and likes to wear
comfortable jackets and sweatshirts. It rains a lot
in Seattle in the winter (like here!) and I want to get
him a waterproof jacket. As for other clothing, he
likes things that are functional and not too flashy.
Budget: 17.000 ISK (approx. $130)
Recommendation: “We would definitely take him
to visit Cintamani (located at Bankastraeti 7) or
Farmer’s Market where he can find comfortable
and casual clothing in good quality material for
this price range.” (Farmer’s Market is located at
Hólmaslóð 2 in the harbour area.)
MYSELF
Description: Because I can’t leave Iceland without
a little something for myself, I wanted to find some
earrings or other jewellery from an Icelandic de-
signer.
Budget: 12.000 ISK (approx. $90)
Recommendation: “For the earrings we would
take you to Helga at Gullkúnst (located at
Laugavegur 13) or Guðbjörg at Aurum (located
at Bankastræti 4) or Ingi at Sign (located at For-
nubúðum 12, 220 Hafnarfjörður) because they
have a wide range of jewellery inspired by Icelan-
dic nature at all prices.”
Visit them at www.reykjavikconcierge.com
Next Stop: SHOP!
Reykjavík Concierge offers visitors unique insight
into the Icelandic design scene
Never underestimate the power of tiny Iceland to capture the world’s attention with financial crashes, volcanic erup-
tions, and a tourist campaign that went a little too far (here’s hoping no one ever actually renames Iceland “Jump For Joy
Land”). Lately, Iceland has been garnering attention for something else too: its blossoming fashion scene.
Reykjavík Concierge offers three different tour packages:
Alísa Kalyanova
Putting Them
To The Test