Christmas Town: Kakhi and Kailash, long-established on Strand Street
Khaki and Kailash are well-established shops on Strandgatan that are a pleasure to visit in the run-up to Christmas, as well as at other times. They are featured in the Christmas issue of the City of Hafnarfjörður's magazine.
Kaki and Kailash are well-established shops in Hafnarfjörður.
Steinunn Þorsteinsdóttir, owner of Kakí, and Helga Einarsdóttir, owner of Kailash, have long been stalwarts of Hafnarfjörður's town centre. These clothes shops have their loyal customers. The shops are on Strandgata.
Women's clothing, jewellery and fragrances in Khaki
„It was my dream to open a shop and it came true,“ says Steinunn Þorsteinsdóttir, owner Khaki. She has run the shop since 1995 and is eagerly awaiting the Christmas season, which has changed with the Christmas Village. More people, more life, more fun.
„I decided to sell my car, buy clothes and open a shop when I lost my rented accommodation on my way to study in Norway.“ The plans changed and she later studied Aromatherapy in Britain. She now designs room sprays from essential oils and sells them in Kakí, along with clothes and jewellery.
„I've had my sprays for sale for six years. Refills are available, and they're popular.“ An ideal Christmas gift, as are the divination candles which are extremely popular in Iceland at the moment.
„Yes, the business has evolved over the years,“ says Steinunn, "but Kakí specialises in clothing from Paris and Italy for women of all ages, and its opening hours follow those of the Christmas Village.".
Steinunn Þorsteinsdóttir has been running Kakí in Hafnarfjörður since 1995. For the last 6 years, she has also been offering bed linen which she designs and manufactures herself. Photos/Óli Már
The experience of visiting Kailash
„Children are so open. They bring their parents in to us,“ says Helga Einarsdóttir, who owns and runs the shop. Kailash with her husband Begga Morthens at 11 Strandgata in Hafnarfjörður. She describes how the stones and crystals call to the children. „It's an experience to come to us.“
Kailash stocks products from all corners of the world, though mainly from Nepal, Tibet and India. Also Icelandic, and they design their own. You can find meditation products, tarot cards, crystals, incense, oils, candles and clothing. The shop has been operating in Hafnarfjörður since 2010 and is unique.
„Running Kailash is a way of life,“ says Helga, who is stoically looking forward to Christmas, as it doesn't significantly alter the shop's product range, any more than spring, summer or autumn does. „We're like the Nepalese who collects scraps and sews little bags. We don't throw anything away and we tread carefully, both in life and in our choice of products,“ says Helga, inviting everyone into the warmth of the Christmas Village.
Helga Einarsdóttir and Beggi Morthens own Kailash. „The shop is named after a holy mountain in Tibet which Beggi and his brother, Tolli, walked around. It's a magnificent mountain, just like our Helgafell.“
Hafnarfjörður Christmas Magazine 2024 – online edition:
The Christmas magazine is available at all our museums and swimming pools. Also at the customer service desk.