Endless Summer (Flickr) – click any image for full size
Endless Summer, designed by Kiddo Oh, is the home to her Dead Dollz store and brand, offering mesh apparel for women. However, it is also much more than this; it is a region which has been beautifully crafted to offer visitors not only a store to browse, but a beautiful place to be explored and discovered.
The main landing point is in the walled courtyard of Kiddo’s store, which presents the first hint that there is much to be enjoyed here. The store charmingly sits within a Tuscan villa complex built around the spacious courtyard, the walls of which are either whitewashed or stone (or a mix of both) depending on who last touched where. Between the villas and outbuildings, archways pass through the walls, enticing visitors to explore the land beyond.
Endless Summer (Flickr) – click any image for full size
Through the arch to the north side of the store courtyard. closest to the landing point, a dirt track winds its way down a gentle slope to follow the line of the island’s rocky edge as it faces the sea, leading you to a stone bridge arching its way across a narrow channel of water to a smaller rocky plateau.
Here, within the appropriately entitled Trompe Loeil Wedding Barn, can be found Kiddo’s range of bridal gowns, a little brick-built café nestled close by offers a place for unhurried contemplation of which to purchase for that special day. Sheltering under the outcrop is a sandbar where a little ice cream concessions resides, complete with parasoled seating. However, to reach it, you’ll need to return to the main island and descend the steps next to the bridge and wade through the shallow waters of the intervening channel.
Endless Summer (Flickr) – click any image for full size
These steps also provide access to the ribbon of beach which almost encircles the rocky cliffs and slopes of the main island. Follow this to the west, and more will be revealed, be it the events stage looking out over the sea, the wooden stairs climbing back up to the plateau and store above, Kiddo’s workshop house lying just off the coast, or places to just sit and watch the ebb and flow of the tide.
Around the villa complex, the fields give a hint of the time of year: grapes are heavy on the vine, apples sit ripening on the orchard trees, and corn cobs are almost ready for picking. A rippling lake of golden grass to the west of the store tells of a summer that has been rich in hot, dry days. A tall finger of a windmill rises from the midst of this grass offers a cuddle spot cradled between its feet, while the rear portion of an old pick-up positioned against the store wall nearby presents an alternative resting place for those returning from a walk around the island.
Endless Summer (Flickr) – click any image for full size
And this is just scratching the surface; there is more to be discovered as you explore, be it the little tram café or the love seats or the offshore lighthouse and shack as they enduring a very local downpour, or inside Kiddo’s store itself. This is a place as beautifully crafted as the rest of the region; one which encourages slow browsing, apparel displayed in such a way it’s as if one can reach out and touch items and feel the materials under fingertips.
All told, Endless Summer packs and incredible amount into it, and Kiddo deserves praise for creating an environment which is such a delight to the eye and camera, and fully deserving of the time taken in exploring it.
Related Links
- Endless Summer SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
