It’s fitting that Athena Argyrakis’s parents named her after the Greek goddess of war and crafts, foreshadowing her journey as a footwear and jewellery designer—a path that would prove to be a battle at times. Each piece she designs is named after a Greek or Roman goddess, with the hope that people who wear her work will feel powerful.

Athena’s fashion roots go deep, with her childhood spent dressing up in her stylish mother’s jewellery and heels and eagerly anticipating her school’s civvies days where she could show off a new outfit. Today she’s the owner of her eponymous label, producing luxury jewellery with environmentally conscious practices at its core.

The Johannesburg-based designer enjoyed a successful career as an award-winning film editor until she turned 30 and felt the urge to try something new. She headed to Milan with a plan to study footwear and bring to life the shoe designs that had begun popping into her head.

Following her stint in Milan, she did a shoe-making course at the prestigious London College of Fashion, specifically its renowned Cordwainers department where the likes of Jimmy Choo and Kurt Geiger learned the craft.

Athena Argyrakis, founder of Athena A Shoes and Accessories

She returned to South Africa inspired, spending a year researching and developing a detailed business plan for her footwear brand. Athena’s vision, however, was put to a grinding halt when she received a cancer diagnosis, which would take her five years to overcome fully. “I had done all this work, and I’m not the kind of person who starts something without finishing it but I physically wasn’t able to,” she says. “I had to go back to editing and I took a job in East Africa. I was still quite ill but something in me said I had to go.”

While in East Africa she saw a man making beautiful brass jewellery in a market. The next day, she skipped work to sketch a range of designs, which he made for her, and she returned to South Africa with her new pieces in her suitcase and a growing sense of excitement.

“Being faced with your mortality takes you to another level,” she says. “It wakes you up into purpose.”

Athena continued to edit while slowly building her jewellery brand on the side. After a few years her friend told her, “As long as you have your foot half in, that’s all you will get.” This motivated her to take the leap to focus on her business full-time. Three years later, Athena now employs a small team of workers at her studio in Johannesburg and has opened her flagship store at The Watershed in Cape Town.

Model wears the Penelope pendant and ring made from Ankole cow horn and recyclable brass. In Greek mythology Penelope, is the wife of Odysseus and renowned for her wisdom and fidelity

The label’s pieces are bold, a mix of organic shapes and architectural angles; clean lines and textured finishes, which are created through experimentation using natural materials like sand or tea leaves.

Athena prizes using brass and aluminium, both for their look and because they can both be recycled. She also incorporates Ankole cow horn, a technique she learnt about during her time in East Africa. Slaughtered for their meat, the long horns of these cows are typically burnt, which emits harmful gasses.

Going forward, Athena hopes to get back to her shoe-making roots, but producing high-quality footwear with ethically sourced materials is a massive challenge in South Africa. To start with, she’ll be creating a line of leather belts.

Athena A Shoes and Accessories recently won the Accessory Award at the 2024 Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards. “It’s amazing to be recognised and seen for the work you’re doing,” says Athena. “We’ve all got our own vision and aesthetic. I think if you stick to that you get something unique.”

• Find out more about Athena A Shoes and Accessories on their website
• Feature image features the model wearing the Diana – the Roman goddess of the moon  earrings handmade using Ankole horn and recyclable brass