Shortly before every well-groomed gentleman traded the scorching heat of Athens for a seaside vacation on the islands, Kiehl’s Greece invited Yatzer’s editor-in-chief Costas Voyatzis to sample Kiehl’s Ultimate Shaving Experience at '1900 – The Barber Shop'. This lovingly curated 'man cave' gives the royal treatment to every guy who ever felt frustrated squeezed between a blow dry and a pedicure at his local neighborhood hair salon. Sorry ladies, this is for gentlemen only!

You only get the briefest glimpse of him looming in the background, but old-school entrepreneur Panagiotis Grigoriou is present in every detail of his unusual downtown enterprise that’s bound to take you back a few decades - right around the time when your grandfather used to get a trim and a shave whenever he felt his manhood slipping!  Dressed to the nines in a flawless vintage-inspired outfit and a wide smile (a gentleman’s most valuable accessory), Grigoriou teamed up with Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Collection, drawing inspiration from his own childhood. Born in Egypt to Greek immigrant parents, conservative local society would never tolerate overgrown hair, so barber shop visits became a monthly ritual.

That is until the Beatles brought everything to a screeching halt. Yes, if there’s one man to blame for the traditional barbershop decline, that’s probably John Lennon, whose long hair put a lot of people out of business. Unable to come to terms with the changing fashions, barbers - hell-bent on crops and neatly-trimmed styles - slowly became a thing of the past.
 'Barbers essentially started losing their clientele to the more tolerant hair salons,' explains Grigoriou. 'A few steps could have easily turned barbershops into a superior grooming experience, but they just couldn’t take their establishments to the next level.' Memories of barbershops’ past would return to haunt him every time he found himself sandwiched between a perm and a manicure – all until he decided to take things into his own hands.

A Video by Yatzer's Creative Team
Directed, Shot & Edited by: Dimosthenis Grivas & Costas Voyatzis
music by Franz Shubert, Frühlingsglaube performed by Jussi Björling

1900 - The Barber Shop opened its doors on April 1st 2007, featuring hand-picked vintage equipment, the best coffee machine in town and the nimble expertise of an expert Egyptian barber. Offering a select clientele a stress-free environment, it’s no wonder 1900 has managed to persist in the face of the credit crunch, becoming the breeding ground for new and interesting ventures - discussed between a smoke and a shave!

In case you belong to that heavily biased male category that considers pampering redundant, Kiehl’s Brand Ambassador Cordelia Madden-Kanellopoulou offers ten good reasons why a dapper gentleman should never forego his grooming:

1. Male skin is thicker and a man’s needs are a lot different to the female 3-step routine which means you need the help of an expert!
2. Men don’t get so many wrinkles but their lines are deeper and harder to prevent.
3. Their skin is greasier.

4. Their pores are bigger.
5. Despite having less sudoriferous glands, men sweat a lot more in comparison to women.
6. Men naturally have more hair, which on the one hand protects their face from natural elements (wind, sun, cold), but ends up causing more frequent skin irritations.


7. Male skin is a lot more sensitive. Pair that with a daily shave and you end up suffering a constant stream of minor injuries that never have the time to heal properly. This is exactly why your skin needs reinforcement.
8. Men are more prone to dark circles under their eyes because they have more blood vessels which affects the appearance of their facial skin.


9. They don’t use as much sun block and are more exposed to UV damage.


10. Male skin gets more dehydrated and is in need of specialized products to restore the balance.

So whenever you happen to find yourself in Athens, don’t hesitate to make an appointment, as 1900 – The Barber Shop - tried and tested by Costas Voyatzis himself - now bears the Yatzer seal of approval!


{ 1900 The Barber Shop: 35 Ipsilantou & Ploutarchou Sts, Kolonaki, Athens, Greece, tel +30 210 7220511 }