Heleena Trahanas & Alexandra Heard
Almost a decade as a duo, ALEX AND TRAHANAS founders Heleena Trahanas & Alexandra Heard have found their creative flow state. We talk their dreamy new ceramics collection with Raes, the Mediterranean and artisan traditions.
Photos ANNA PIHAN & LUCY LAUCHT
Heleena Trahanas (left) and Alexandra Heard from ALEX AND TRAHANAS. Photo: Lucy Laucht
‘Raes has such a strong sense of place, so we wanted the collection to feel like it belonged there,’ shares Alexandra Heard. Photo: Anna Pihan
Inspired by Raes’ warm hospitality and its Wategos surrounds, each piece is hand-painted in coastal hues, with loose brushstrokes and dreamy motifs. Photo: Anna Pihan
“We’ve known each other for so long that there’s a lot of trust. There’s a shorthand between us now – we can usually tell what the other is thinking without having to explain it too much.”
Summer Vacanza celebrates the simple joy of a slow, sun-drenched holiday at Raes. Photo: Anna Pihan
Shaped and hand-painted by artisans in Puglia, each piece drawing on generations of local craftsmanship and the Italian tradition of gathering around the table. Photo: Anna Pihan
Hello Heleena & Alexandra—can you introduce yourselves?
HELEENA: I’m Heleena Trahanas, one half of ALEX AND TRAHANAS. I’ve always been drawn to food, culture, entertaining, travel and the Mediterranean; I have a very strong connection to Greece through my family. What started as a creative pursuit has grown into a joyous world of the Mediterranean way of life explored through entertaining, ceramics, table accessories and ready-to-wear.
ALEXANDRA: I’m Alexandra Heard, the other half of ALEX AND TRAHANAS. My background was communications and event production in magazines, so for many years I had been surrounded by food, entertaining, design and fashion. Heleena and I met early in our careers in magazines and bonded over a shared love for travel, mostly to the Mediterranean. The brand really grew out of our combined love of travel, food, entertaining and beautiful objects.
The Mediterranean is central to ALEX AND TRAHANAS. What is it about the region that continues to pull you back?
HELEENA: For me, there’s also a very personal connection with my Greek heritage. I love the warmth and generosity of the culture: people gathering, food always being shared in a relaxed nature. And the Mediterranean Sea, of course. It’s my medicine; there’s something so therapeutic about the Mediterranean way of life. That way of living is a huge part of ALEX AND TRAHANAS. There’s something about it that makes you feel at ease.
ALEXANDRA: The appreciation for the simple things: eating well, being outside, by the sea, spending time with friends and family. Nothing feels too complicated, but there is a lot of beauty in everyday rituals and in the Mediterranean landscape. I think that’s something we’re always trying to capture.
The brand is tied to memories of summer, travel, food and long lunches. Which places or experiences do you return to for inspiration?
HELEENA: Our brand is very much anchored to Puglia, where we return most years. One of our first experiences there, at Masseria Moroseta under the hospitality of Carlo Lanzini and Giorgia Goggi, was truly memorable. We were spellbound by their magic and returned to them as often as possible. Carlo and Giorgia made you feel at home, like you were part of the family. They have their own fruit and vegetable garden, which they take much pride in. Everything is executed with so much love, warmth, care and attention to detail without being too over the top. I always come back to Greece for the seaside tavernas. There’s something so charming, humbling, comforting and wholesome when dining at a local taverna. I love the simplicity and traditions you get to experience. It feels honest and authentic; there’s a real sense of family and connection.
ALEXANDRA: Yes! I would happily revisit Italy every year… and I’m constantly dreaming of Greece: the food, the colour of the sea, the laid-back nature of a beachside taverna and a simple village life. Also Mallorca: the people, the landscape from the mountains to the sea, and the slower pace had such an impact on me.
What’s the best part about working together as a team?
ALEXANDRA: We’ve known each other for so long that there’s a lot of trust. There’s a shorthand between us now: we can usually tell what the other is thinking without having to explain it too much. I also completely value Heleena’s creative opinion. If she feels strongly about something, I am very comfortable making a particular call. And mostly all our collections and projects are so much better from working together; they reach new heights from bouncing ideas back and forth.
HELEENA: The best part is the creative process. We are both dreamers and have a few (million) ideas stored away that we are slowly working through each collection. We’re lucky to be able to continuously bounce ideas off each other. I love that part of the process. I really couldn’t do this business without Alex; she makes things happen for us! She’s a doer. There’s no holding back!
Rendered in pastel blue, baby pink, honey and crema, the Summer Vacanza collection features scalloped forms and painterly stripes. Photo: Anna Pihan
‘There’s also something really special about keeping the skills of the artisan alive,’ says Heleena Trahanas. Photo: Anna Pihan
Every platter, plate, bowl, vase and coffee cup in the collection captures the joyful spirit of summer by the beach. Photo: Anna Pihan
Photo: Anna Pihan
Your just-launched Summer Vacanza collection was made by artisans in Puglia to sit within the world of Raes. How did that shape its look and feel?
HELEENA: It was important that it felt like ALEX AND TRAHANAS but also like Raes. We kept thinking about those long summer days at Wategos: swimming, long lunching and drinks at the Cellar Bar. The collection was designed to bring joy and artisanal texture to the rhythm of the Raes experience.
ALEXANDRA: Raes has such a strong sense of place, so we wanted the collection to feel like it belonged there. It’s very relaxed, yet sophisticated, and there’s a strong connection to the beauty of Wategos Beach. We wanted the pieces to have that same feeling (a little nostalgic, colourful and joyful) and to ultimately inspire gatherings of your own.
The pieces will be used throughout Raes to hold everything from coffee and gelato to flowers and Champagne. How did knowing this influence the way you designed them?
ALEXANDRA: We always think about how something is going to be used. Knowing the collection would be part of the whole day at Raes was really lovely because we could design around those different moments. A little bowl of gelato, a coffee in the morning, flowers styled in vases, a sgroppino served in a fruit bowl stand to end lunch: each piece has a role.
HELEENA: I love that the pieces won’t just be looked at, they’ll actually be used. That’s always important to us. We wanted them to feel practical, warm, generous, and to work together in different ways. A wine cooler might hold Champagne one day and flowers the next. That’s how we use things at home too. We always think about the multiple ways our pieces can be used to ignite joy in everyday rituals.
Artisans have shaped ALEX AND TRAHANAS from the very beginning. What drew you to slower, handmade ways of making?
ALEXANDRA: We’ve always loved the imperfections that come with something being made by hand. When you visit an artisan and see the process, you understand why no two pieces are exactly the same. It gives an object soul and a depth that you just don’t get with something mass produced.
HELEENA: There’s also something really special about keeping the skills of the artisan alive. The family that makes our pieces has been honing their skills over 18 generations. Their forms, brushstrokes and use of colour are exceptional and full of life. The little variations are all part of the beauty. They’ve developed a language a DNA through slower, handmade processes which we really connect with, we’re drawn to the authenticity, the love and warmth you can feel with each piece.
How did the setting at Raes influence the shapes and the palette of pastel blue, baby pink, honey and crema for Summer Vacanza?
HELEENA: We were thinking about the quintessential Raes experience. From a slow breakfast to drifting from the beach to the pool. A sprawling long lunch through to aperitivo as the sun goes down. The colours and shapes came from that feeling. Nothing too formal or rigid, everything should feel easy to use and beautiful to live with.
ALEXANDRA: There was so much beauty in the natural landscape and interiors at Raes to draw upon. The stretch of coast at Wategos is simply jaw-dropping. It was such a fun process drawing up the coastal summer colour palette.
How closely did you work with the artisans in Puglia to develop the final shapes, finishes and painted details?
ALEXANDRA: We went in with a clear vision, but it is always a collaborative process. There is a lot of back-and-forth around the colours, brushwork and glaze.
HELEENA: There are always little things that happen during the process, and we often end up loving those details or the accidents that happen.
When you’re at home in Australia, what small rituals bring the feeling of a European summer into your everyday?
HELEENA: For me, it’s really about making time. Sitting outside for lunch rather than eating quickly, going for a swim at the beach, buying quality produce from the market, having people drop in. I think that’s what we take from the Mediterranean more than anything - not necessarily recreating the exact food or setting, but making time to enjoy it. Time and slowing down is such a luxury.
ALEXANDRA: Coffee in the morning. Aperitivo in the evening. But mostly, I love having friends over and making something relatively simple: lots of tomatoes, a big salad, good bread, a yummy dessert. I love setting the table, even if it’s a very casual lunch.
Where are you looking to right now for inspiration?
HELEENA: Travel is always the biggest one for me, and nature. Nature is magic, it’s art. There’s so much beauty to be explored through hotels, restaurants, old houses, galleries, markets, the ocean, flowers and plants. I’m always taking photographs of colours and details without necessarily knowing what they’ll be for. Inspiration is truly never-ending.
ALEXANDRA: Food and people. I’m always inspired by people who are on a lifelong endeavour to seek out delicious moments and share them with the people around them. The way someone lives, cooks and hosts in a warm and generous way is so inspiring to me.
Where would we find you on a typical Saturday?
HELEENA: Near the water. Ideally I’d start with a swim, go to the markets, have a long lunch and then somehow still be sitting at the table in the late afternoon. I like Saturdays that don’t have too much of a plan.
ALEXANDRA: My Saturdays always start with two coffees (pronto!) and a slow morning at the beach, no matter the season. I love a Saturday that effortlessly turns into something else: lunch becoming afternoon drinks, people coming and going. Those are always the best days.
What's coming up for you that you're most excited about?
HELEENA: We’re celebrating a milestone of 10 years next year! Our ideas are bubbling away about how we will bring the 10th anniversary edition to life.
ALEXANDRA: After all these years, it still feels like we’re just getting started, which is a nice place to be.
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