Kindred Makers - Hotels, Crafts & Design

Sisters of spaghetti, sibling architects, ethical knits, dad+son chefs at a place with no menu, to the hotels created by the minimalist aesthets – the Schgagulers, the curators – the Wiesenthals, and the glampot nostalgists – the Dissertoris, and we hop over to Syroswhere sisters Jasmine and Oana are rewriting island style. Up in South Tyrol, a fierce all-female cast runs a designer retreat with serious soul. Life-changing moments pepper this week's news, including Ariane, who was living in New York as a lobbyist for sustainable and organic farmers, when she felt the pull of her family’s farm in Tuscany. 

Finally, how about an underground winery?

It’s a celebration of shared DNA and divergent genius – proof that family ties don’t just bind, they build.

 But first, I go on the hunt for pink gin...

Pink Gin - I love you...

Headlining this week’s gloriously full bulletin is a rather handsome recent photo of me (sporting those dapper sandals one can only get away with in Greece) and Giorgos, pictured outside his and wife Alexandra’s gorgeous Cycladic hideaway. He was my very first hotel client to join the family back in 2009 (read more below about his talented daughters and their all-white suite in Mum and Dad’s place). Giorgos is more than a client: he’s a dear friend, a lovely human, an engineer turned hotelier with a sweet penchant for English humour – so we regularly insult each other. But beneath it all, there’s mutual respect and love, obviously.

This week, we toast the collaborative magic of families – the fusion of sibling creativity, shared character and that curious mix of kinship and chaos that somehow builds beauty. From hoteliers and designers to winegrowers and jumper-makers, these are the folk, the movers and multi-talented muses who prove that creativity often runs thick in the bloodline, like one of Vienna’s standout museum buildings, created by brotherly architects.

Last week, I was in Zürich, and despite a tight schedule, I was hunting for the brothers behind a gin that the lovely Corina Soehner and Stephanie Abderhalden (let's call them my Giorgas) had given me as a gift.

 “You’re looking for my brother?” said Florian, who precariously poured liquid into an open canister feeding a gleaming copper German-made Holsteindistillery. 

“I guess I am,” I replied.

I’d just marched into what was once a cavernous train workshop owned by SBB – now satisfyingly reimagined to house the gin-maker I was eagerly on the hunt for. As I passed through the halls, I spotted a chocolatier, an espresso machine designer (statement pieces), an architect’s bureau, and the very lovable Soeder: makers of natural soaps (they even make a shower gel called Wermut Negroni – right up my street). I felt very at home. Maybe we should open an office there too – it has everything I need for a day in the office.

Moments later, I was introduced to the other brother, Gian, and we clicked like long-lost friends. I mean him, not the gin (that’s a foregone conclusion).

Earlier that day, I’d been at lunch with another Giorgos (yes, there are more of them). This time it is Jan Brucker, a titan in the world of hospitality. We were seated proudly at his family restaurant (more on that in the coming weeks), where his daughter Janina is in charge. She was away, but his son, and fellow business entrepreneur, Luis, held the fort. We chatted over plates of something marvellous about my day ahead, and I mentioned my next stop. They both smiled knowingly. It turns out that Luis went to school with the gin-making duo. We snapped a photo as evidence to show the gin brothers and, naturally, as it was barely past midday, they insisted I try the brothers’ very quaffable rosé wine – a toast to how beautifully small the world can be.

Now, let me be honest. I couldn’t imagine anything worse than working alongside my Addams Family siblings. And OMG – an hour working with dear sweet Mama would have ended in glorious carnage. The TV drama, Succession, is a mild affair compared to my clan. But for my featured families, chemistry trumps chaos. Working with the bloodline creates a kind of dynamic alchemy – not always identical in taste, but somehow aligned in soul. It’s a rare joy to see a project born from that kind of familial bond, such a tightly knitted collaboration (yes, perfect segue into Howlin’ knitwear), where difference isn’t divisive but a drive to create something beautiful, together.

Am I jealous of that kind of bond? Not really. I’m perfectly content with my chosen family – the fabulous amigos like Giorgos and the adopted souls I work alongside. We’ve built something grounded in kinship, loyalty and wild laughter: The Aficionados is a true family affair.

Thank you, dear friends, amigos and kindreds – you make me smile.

Or... was that just too many pink gins?

Hugs + Peace
Iain & Co.

PS: Catch me in Santorini in September (the best time to visit). If you spot two older guys wrapped in laughter, it's probably me and Giorgos. 

Brothers Giampaolo + Emanuele

"It all started almost by accident, in 1973. We often joke that we would have liked to do something else. And, instead, here we are: diving headfirst into the bathroom, designing the most intimate space in the domestic landscape for 50 years. Having fun, but never losing focus."

The Fetz Family

When Pia & Peter Fetz took over the reins of the Hirschen in 2018, they were under no illusion about how best to fill the shoes of their father, Franz Fetz, a sort of legend. 

Brothers Gian + Florian

From tonic-triggered pink gin to sun-soaked rosé, Deux Frères are bottling rebellion in Zurich. Meet the brothers blending science, swagger and serious flavour into every wildly sippable drop.

Sisters Sarah + Emily

A powerful sibling bond is behind the construct of style bolthole Haus Aerli. Sisters Sarah and Emily Schwarz set about using their passion and attention to detail to recreate a new alpine experience where antlers and fustiness are gone, replaced by a cool new aesthetic: pared back and modern.

Dad Markus + Son Lukas

Foodies flock to Mraz & Sohn in Vienna's 20th district. Apart from having two Michelin stars, the father-son duo cook up a storm, so it is hard to get a table in a place with no menu.

Heidi + her Daughters

VillaVerde is a family venture, so expect to be greeted by charismatic Mama Heidi and her daughters Judith, Paula, and Lea. Arriving at VillaVerde is like being enclosed in a warm hug in their rethought world of comfort and measured style.

Brothers Constantinos + Grigoris

The brothers are no strangers to the world of weaving and textiles, having grown up in the family textile trade business. In 2013, the nomadic duo set up Sea You Soon, a purveyor of aesthetically pleasing beachside accessories for the modern traveller.

Soul sisters Natalia + Margarita

Soul sisters Natalia and Margarita, co-founders and owners of the townhouse-hotel Monsieur Didot, met on their first day of university. They were studying civil engineering in Athens, bonding over their love of music and theatre, activism, and endless conversation. 

Brothers Klaus + Moritz

Brothers Dissertori are the creators, minds, and often hosts at the Parkhotel Mondschein, Villa Arnica, and 1477 Reichhalter. They and their family are no strangers to the hotel world. With a string of stylish and successful properties under their belts, they have an eye for detail and dish up nostalgic glamour easy-side up. 

The 3 Sisters

Founded by three sisters in 2005, Karin Söderlind, Kristina Tjäder and Sofia Wallenstam brought House of Dagmar to life, based on the legacy of their late grandmother, Dagmar.

Brothers Alexander + Armin

Design hotel Bühelwirt & Atto Suites in South Tyrol by architects Alexander & Armin Pedevilla, were projects that aligned with their modus operandi nicely.

Die Wiesenthals

Owner and art curator Otto Wiesenthal is a behind-the-scenes kinda guy, preferring to let his family – Saskia and Lisa take preference, who together are the collective faces of individuality that form the lovely, familiar Hotel Altstadt Vienna.

Haridimos + Konstantina

Founded by Haridimos Hatzidakis and Konstantina Chryssou, this Santorini vineyard was once overgrown land belonging to Konstantina’s family, who left for Athens after the 1956 earthquake. When they rediscovered it, they found a cave, which they began to use as a small underground winery.

The Schgaguler Bros.

Evoking the snow-capped geology of the Dolomites, the three owning brothers together with Milan-based studio Peter Pichler Architecture, created a statement piece of architecture and smooth interior design that mirrors the palettes of snow, mountains and forests, standing proud in the wonderful ski village Alpe di Siusi in Italy's South Tyrol.

Sisters Ariane + Samantha

At the farm holding of Tenuta San Carlo in the heart of Maremma in Southern Tuscany, the landscapes are wild and regenerated with rice paddies, and agritourism is the main focus. Run by Ariane and her sister Samantha, the 1,200-acre farm fell into their hands in 2003, and they are now the fourth generation of their family to own the land. Ariane was living in New York as a lobbyist for sustainable and organic farmers when she felt the pull of her family’s farm in Tuscany.

Brothers Laurids + Manfred

Ortner&Ortner architects designed the MUMOK in Vienna, a practice founded by the Ortner brothers Laurids and Manfred, born in Linz in Austria. They established the practice in 1987 in Düsseldorf, expanding to offices in Vienna, Berlin and Cologne.

Sisters Jasmin + Oana

Spotted on a random trip to the Cyclades island of Syros, sisters Jasmin and Oana fell upon an unloved mansion house — it was a calling and the family set about creating the most talked about hotel in Greece, filled with personal art collections, heritage and fabulously colourful interiors.

Brothers Jan + Patrick

Very niche and partial to an in-joke, you’ll find the jumpers and collections’ names to be musically inspired, which reflects the hybrid crossover of music and fashion and the unique nature of Howlin’s cultural immersion, created by two brothers, Jan and Patrick Olyslager, who hail from Antwerp.

The Foradori Family

In Italy's Trentino region, another family-run affair, Foradori is a friendly, welcoming winery helmed by Elisabetta and it’s here that you’ll be privy to the stories that helped build the winery and vineyards into what they are today including its inception in 1901, the conversion in 2002 to biodynamic farming and the Demeter certifications they have received.

The Santorini Sisters

Perched on the edge of the caldera, Sisters Elly Alexiou (architect) and Maria-Christina Alexiou (mechanical engineer and lighting designer) forged a design alliance to create the new suite that flows seamlessly into the infinity views of the Aegean. Decked completely in sun-kissed whites, they were determined to maintain the natural beauty of the rock formation that narrates the flow whilst having a minimal environmental impact on the landscape, using this unique rock architecture to frame a luxurious suite.

Alain, Eduard & the Eselböcks

From Austria’s rustic gourmet hideaway to Burgenland's famed and finest biodynamic vineyard to Croatia’s island escape, the Eselböcks serve up eccentricity, nostalgia and next-level flavour. Whimsical design, slow food and a rebellious love for the good life – where dining is theatre, staying over is half the adventure, and indulgence comes with a playful twist.