Discovery
Established in late 2014 in central Athens, by the architect and designer, Ioannis Samelis, the brand marries contemporary construction methods with a creativity inspired by Greece’s cultural heritage.
Engaged in the design of both gadgets and furniture, the company’s name is derived from Ioannis full name and the Geographic Information System, the topographical method of measuring distances.
Concentrating mostly on the design of his creations, the manufacture is done by dedicated craftsmen but often Ioannis participates in the process to ensure the execution is exactly as prescribed.
His home collection comprises tableware, such as cups and bowls, as well as culinary implements, like rolling pins and pestles, made from ceramic, marble and wood.
The objects coalesce geometrical shapes inspired by Greek culture with modern minimalist design.
An innovative design choice is the Gadget and Barber Grooming Collection dedicated to men, a market in which imaginative gift ideas can be scarce.
The item features a ceramic dish which can hold the cake of soap and a brush but which can also be used as a shaving dish, cradled in its ceramic cap underneath, which holds warm water. Ioannis paid special heed to creating an ergonomic angle to the bowl, making it easy to grip in one hand, so the shaver can use his brush with the other. The set comes with a selection of stainless steel combs and an elegant shaving blade in stainless steel with a black handle that once folded, acts as a cover.
An innovative design choice is the Gadget and Barber Grooming Collection dedicated to men, a market in which imaginative gift ideas can be scarce
Memory
As his father worked for the military, Ioannis moved around Greece with his family attending different schools. Initially, feeling isolated from other school children, he scribbled designs from early on.
Ioannis studied architecture and industrial design in Athens and London and commenced his career with creating racks to hold bicycles.
Having to counteract the economic crisis in Greece, which emerged in late 2009, the designer enhanced his creative reach and targeted his marketing skills in order to promote himself.
The Barber Grooming Collection was inspired by the vintage shaving rituals of the sixties, which reminded him of his grandfather. As barber shops began to proliferate in Athens and other cities, his idea became commercially relevant. In any case, he had always preferred shaving in this traditional way.
His home collection comprises tableware, such as cups and bowls, as well as culinary implements, like rolling pins and pestles, made from ceramic, marble and wood
Narration
Ioannis architecture office is in central Athens.
He travels frequently, bikes often and receives creative stimulus from new sights, sounds and places.
He spent his childhood summers in Pylos, a small seaside town in the Peloponnese.
Historically named Navarino, the area is characterized by its red soil. In Mycenean times it was known as Nestor’s kingdom of Sandy Pylos and it figures as an inspiration to Ioannis still, especially for his homeware collection.
