One thing is for sure- Icelanders are not afraid of color. From the multi-colored rooftops to florescent fashions (which mind you they totally pull off), this was a refreshing change from mainland Europe (which most days I feel like a European at heart, but at the end of the day, I like color too much!). Reykjavik has a really awesome street scene, full of great shops and good vibes. There’s no air of corporate, the shops are unique boutiques (many concept-driven), inviting, and fashion forward with a keen eye for design. Laugavegur is the main shopping street and sprinkled with great shops.

Naked Ape [above] and Forynja are two shops run by the same owner specializing in hand-printed clothes and goods (totally fun, and so not mainstream). The night I was at Naked Ape there was even a DJ pumping out great beats.

Vintage and second hand stores also had their place, but once again with a fun twist. Many items I saw were “re-fabricated” into a combo of old meets new, at Sputnik and Rokk Og Rosir.

I also loved Kron [far right], specializing in shoes and KronKron [link under construction] with their trendy (but not too trendy) designer clothes. Great displays too.

Despite it’s small stature (it’s not much bigger than it looks in this picture), Kuk clearly had it’s fan base as a popular stop. Also super cool was the graffiti mural in the alley, where a projection from the window makes this glowing flower [left] morph and come to life.

For more on Icelandic designer, check out Reykjavik Design District and guide2reykjavik.