“Nene”…
This is how they used to say
“Grandmother” in Smyrna. This is how she wanted us to call her instead of
“Giagia”, the equivalent term in Greek. Everybody in the family was calling her
“Nene”, regardless of how was related to her (e.g. nieces, nephews,
granddaughters, great granddaughters) except from her husband of course, our
great grandfather, Yiorgos (George in English).
When our great grandfather
Yiorgos met “Nene” for the first time it was love at first sight. He was
instantly enchanted by her. Her dymanic personality was hard to be missed. She
had incredible resources of energy, her gaze was intense, penetrating and
insightful and her feminine aura was oozing class. She had a glare as if she
was a “magical creature” from another world…
She knew how to hold herself
and how to behave in every social occasion and circle, demonstrating her
impeccable ladylike manners. Therefore it was inevitable for a woman such was
she, not to look after herself and her appearance. Her priority, soon after she
was waking up, was to wear her favourite lipstick and earrings. She was always
well groomed, wearing her perfume and had her nails dyed in bright colours.
This was not only due to her
education (“Nene” had been trained to become a teacher in one of the most
prestigious schools of her time in Athens, called “Arsakeio” and she could also
teach piano and French), but also due to her upper class background which,
although it was challenged during the early years of her life, it was always
embedded in her (she survived the invasion of Turks in Smyrna in 1922, saw her
house and city burned down and fled her homeland together with her family
travelling with everything that they could hold or wear as a refugees to
Limnos, a Greek island ). Later on in her life when she married Yiorgos she
found herself living in Pakistan and mixing with the upper class society and
diplomatic circles there, in a period when Pakistan was still a part of India
as an English colony.
Together with Yiorgos – who
is worth mentioning that he became the Managing Director of Patel Cotton
Company in 1938 and later on became the Consul General of Greece in Pakistan in
the ‘50s - she travelled the world,
expanded her horizons and exposed herself to different cultures from Europe, Asia
and Africa. This had a direct effect on her fashion style, adding flair to her
already sophisticated and elegant presence.
She was always following the
fashion trends of her time evidenced not only in her clothing choices, but also
in the accessories that she would use to complement her style. All her dresses
were tailored to her figure; she had many different styles of dresses for day
and evening occasions and for all seasons, ranging from informal and casual to
very formal. In her wardrobe, you could see matching bags and shoes that
complimented her dresses together with dozens of hats, gloves, scarves,
umbrellas and other accessories.
Regardless of her numerous
combinations, her look would always be supported by her favourite jewellery,
such as earrings, bracelets, rings, pendants and necklaces, which were mostly
golden and would either have precious stones attached to them (diamonds,
amethysts, sapphires, topazes, turquoises, jadeites, rubies and others), or
they would be embellished with pearls. Depending on the season, the occasion
and time of the day the above would vary and sometimes her jewellery would be
extended to include hair accessories to complement her striking appearance.
“Nene” was a very beautiful
woman and she knew it. At her prime years, her look resembled that of a
Hollywood star and men were always attracted to her. Her enchanting beauty
however, was equally developed on the inside.
You could freely consult her without any reservations about anything,
from cooking tips to lifetime choices. She had an acute mind and a marvellous
sense of humour and of course a great taste when it came to fashion, make up
and styling tips, colour co-ordinations and matching accessories and so she
would always have a very strong opinion about what suits you, ranging from the
colour of your hair and your make up to the man you would choose as partner
next to you; and quite frankly she was always right! You knew you could trust
her because she was always tuned in to her unmistakable instinct.
The years were passing by
and she was remaining contemporary with the seasons and young in her appearance
and attitude towards her life, an attribute that she never lost, which explains
how it was always very difficult to guess her real age. For those of us, who
knew it, it was a miracle how she was never aging and how she was always
engaging fully with life (she was exercising until her mid nineties, listening
her favourite programmes on the radio, watching the latest news on the TV,
reading and following the current political developments of Greece, the country
to which she had returned since the 1960s). Healthy and active as she was until
the very end, she would follow the fashion trends and be critical about the
various looks and seasons, exercising her incredible wit. Even during her very
last years of her life, when she was over 100 years old, she would still remain
very open-minded, insightful, magical and ‘young’ for all of us. Her secret
when she was asked about her longevity was this: “Never take Life too
seriously, Always retain your Sense of Humour and Love and Look After
Yourself”!
Nene’s eternal, immortal spirit, however elusive it might be after her
death, she is still with us. Influencing three generations,
she has left a vivid mark in her children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren allowing us to carry on being guided by her inner wisdom and
bringing her to life through us…
“Nene”… a Remarkable Woman Transcending Time…
Timeless, Contemporary, Spirit…
“Nene”…this is our Inspiration…
To Nene with all our
Love...
