Gregarious, exuberant, and impeccably dressed — always — meet Katianna Velos
One look at Katianna Velos’ colourful, curated Instagram account and you’ll be believe food is art and fashion is food.
Affectionally known as Kat Vel, the Golden Groves co-founder seamlessly combines couture and cuisine with equal measures of embellished tablespaces; sun-drenched scenes of overseas escapes; impeccably styled outfits for any eating occasion; and food, glorious food.
We caught up Kat before she escaped Melbourne’s winter for a Mediterranean summer to chat about what she’s currently cooking, her love affair with New York City, and the airport essential she’ll wearing in transit.
Give us the Kat Velos elevator pitch - tell us about yourself?
Tall, gregarious soon to be admitted lawyer / food crazed enthusiast / content creator and Co-founder of Golden Groves — a lifestyle brand embodying the art of living well, the Mediterranean way. Our current offerings include extra virgin olive oil and caviar. Presently Melbourne based, but hoping to pursue a nomadic existence and work from anywhere.
What recipe do you currently have on high rotation?
With it being winter here in Melbourne, we’ve been making curries on repeat at home, specifically, a soul warming eggplant curry. Peppered with a rich mix of freshly ground spices, and topped with tart grass-fed kefir, this recipe is definitely my go to these cooler months.
What are you reading or listening to right now?
I’m currently turning the pages of the Monocle Travel Guide to Athens ahead of my trip to Greece. You can always uncover new corners of a city, no matter how many times you’ve been. I’m listening to a mixture of Business of Fashion podcasts and interviews with creatives whom I admire - food, fashion or otherwise (Letitia Ann Clark, Nigella Lawson and Camille Charriere to name a few). Music wise - lots of Greek, I need to be well versed in the latest releases by the time we touch down in Mykonos.
Favourite city and why?
Such a difficult question, as I appreciate each and every city for what it can offer from all aspects sensorially speaking. It has to be New York City for me. It’s the city of dreams. It has grit, style and gumption. It’s the city that never sleeps. The energy is New York is chaotic, yet calming.
It’s home to such a diverse range of people, that even walking down the street and simply people watching feels educational. You can’t help but fall in love with New York the longer you stay there. Every day strangers on the street would make me laugh. It’s home to real characters, people you feel are from a bygone area.
You are engulfed by its vastness to the point where you feel so insignificant, but it’s this same insignificance that emboldens you to pursue your dreams as you’re surrounded by millions of people revelling in the opportunities this magical city has to offer. New York feels alive.
Outfit paired with your new Terry slippers?
Definitely an all white linen set, bold gold jewellery and my gorgeous Terry slippers in yellow for a pop of colour. I’ll be wearing this fit as my chic travel outfit on the ferries in a Greece and between airports, so I can hop off the plane and head straight to a beach bar for a drink looking put together.
Shop the range now - Terry Slippers Lemon.
