It’s a cold and windy Saturday afternoon in Brunswick. Outside the cafe at Sparta Place a band is playing old jazz songs and everyone can’t help but sway to the music.

I’m waiting outside a cosy, bright shop full of Greek sandals, leather bags and boots, caftans, designer homeware objects and stylish jewellery, wondering where its name Georgia On My Mind stems from.

Then Georgia arrives “as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines, just an old sweet song”, bringing Ray Charles’ lyrics to life.

“There’s something simple, elegant and timeless about this old sweet song, plus it always got sung to me growing up,” Georgia tells Neos Kosmos.

“I named the shop after the song, not after myself – although my name happens to be Georgia, too.”

“To me these lyrics are about the joy of travel and the intimacy of love, the things that inspire and drive me to create,” she explains.

For Georgia, this classic song works as a reminder to never forget the things she values the most and always pursue her dreams with passion.

“The comforts of home and the times spent with family and friends surrounded with beautiful things have generated many ideas in my mind, that I would like to pass on to others.”

All products found at Georgia on My Mind are handmade in Greece by small families of village craftsmen. The clothing is mostly one size to fit all, made in Athens, featuring Greek muslin as the main fabric for the collections.

“I’m hoping to soon be able to do another trip and see what else I can find there.

“Some of our Greek suppliers are still using traditional methods like the loom and broadloom, passed down from generation to generation,” Georgia explains.

The sandals are designed in Australia, but manufactured in Crete and Athens.

“My married name is Georgia Digby, but my maiden name is Annitsaki and I hail from Chania. I go once a year to source my supplies and discover new interesting things, supervise production.

“It’s very difficult right now in Greece, because of the economy and because the manufacturers are facing many hurdles as getting money from the bank isn’t easy any more – in fact I’d say it’s impossible,” she admits.

“Understandably, the situation is affecting my business as well, since the suppliers aren’t giving the independent manufacturers good terms and the resulting delay and expenses that come up are passed on to me.”

This is part of the reason Georgia sources some of her materials from Indonesia during the winter. However, Georgia enjoys the challenges of working in Greece, despite the difficulties she’s coming across in running a small business.

“Our goods are made from genuine hand-dyed vegetable tanned Greek leather using 100 per cent environmentally friendly techniques,” she stresses.
“We are utilising raw natural untreated leathers that become softer and darker with age.”

Her goal is to showcase styles that are timeless and strongly convey the Greek sense of heritage, but are also in accordance with the times and trends.

“There are other labels designing and making Greek leather sandals and bags, yet they source their materials from Turkey and Thailand and manufacture their goods in China and Italy.”

“I have formed strong relationships with my Greek suppliers and I believe that it is vital for the Greek economy to support small, local companies and makers,” Georgia tells.

Georgia studied textile design at RMIT and worked in the industry for years as a textile designer for several companies, such as Holeproof and Britex. At Britex she was managing a small team in product development and began to travel and network whilst learning how to source materials.

“After Britex, I took a break and I worked in designer furniture for two years, which was a whole different experience,” she recalls.

“It wasn’t long until I decided to take my knowledge and apply it to my own taste, in an effort to create something that resembles the Greek-inspired style I envisioned.”

Georgia also runs an online shop, and has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter which is another full-time job. She had been working from home, wholesaling for a few years, until she decided to open up her own shop – initially as a wholesale space – to maintain her physical contact with her clients.

“It didn’t take long for it to become a retail shop, however I must admit that it is a bit of a niche market.

“We mostly work with locals, which is nice. There is a very strong and supportive network in Brunswick, which makes us all feel part of a greater family.

“I was born in Brunswick and even though the thought of expanding to Carlton has crossed my mind more than once, I can’t see myself living and working anywhere else,” she admits.

The shop is located in a beautiful spot opposite the Sparta Place cafes, but it is kind of hidden and a lot of people don’t really know the lane. Many of Georgia’s customers initially come to this part of town for bridal wear and accidentally discover her stylish ‘nest’.

“Most people are surprised on finding out there is a Greek shop selling goods from Greece in Brunswick, as most Greek businesses are located in Lonsdale Street,” she says.

“Thankfully the people who know our products love the shop and keep coming back.

“Most of the time things work in a word-of-mouth kind of way.”

Greek-style accessories and sandals have become a worldwide trend recently, but Georgia is not focusing on creating a fashion brand that specifies on that.

“What matters to me is the quality of my products, based on preserving the classic Greek character and traditional manufacturing techniques.

“I’d definitely want to keep the handmade-natural goods theme and possibly source more beautiful textiles from Greece.”

*For more information visit georgiaonmymind.com.au and www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-On-My-Mind/174120579332416