Szputnyik Shop is a fashion concept born as the mixture of old and new, romantic vintage and provocative, modern styles. An astonishingly unusual spot in the Hungarian fashion field, where everyone can easily find the clothes most fitting to one’s character and style.

Offering a handpicked selection of beloved vintage clothing, coveted designer pieces and brand new custom designs, their two locations await all fashion adventurers who are looking for unapologetic, self-expressive pieces. Find vintage classics that have never gone out of style, or find off-the-wall pieces to set you apart from the mainstream, not to mention ethical and beloved global brands such as Fjallraven, Toms, Paez, and Dr. Martens.

There are affordable ways to give your look a feeling of freedom and uncluttered creativity, get inspired at Szputnyik! Find all your favourite performers, movies, animals or quotes on printed t-shirts, explore cool festival must-haves for both women and men, along with the best quality, timeless vintage designs. The key to a unique summer wardrobe is at Szputnyik!

Summer festivals are the biggest adventures of the season, show the world your true self through Szputnyik designs!

This month we relived our precious vision at Kalitka (meaning: bird cage), a bistro-shop-gallery that opened just a few weeks ago in downtown Budapest, a few minutes away from Szent István Basilica. It is spacious enough to function both as a shop and a restaurant, selling stylish Maians shoes, Art On Me clothing items designed by a talented Hungarian designer, as well as beautifully served, filling and flavourful meals. The place is a feast for the eyes: you feel the urge to look and walk around, because there are so many exciting details to discover, from the sleigh dining chairs to the industrial lamps, different bird cages, the rocking-horse, or the bicycle on the brick wall. And we haven’t even mentioned the monthly changing exhibition of local artists.

After taking a closer look inside Kalitka, we sat down at a nicely set table near the entrance, ready for brunch. Looking at the menu, our stomach growled. Should we start the day with ham and eggs, a filling English breakfast, frittata filled with goat cheese, spinach and bacon, or a salmon-cucumber-drill-ricotta sandwich? It wasn’t an easy choice to make. Finally, two meals caught our eyes: Caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella and Hungarian ratatouille. While our delicious meals were being prepared, we imbibed a glass of classic, fruitful lemonade, and found out that Kalitka has a free luggage store and also operates a delivery service, offering 4 types of breakfast packages with a slice of cake and freshly squeezed orange juice included.

Before sharing our gastro experience, let us tell you that we were blown away by the presentation of everything that we ordered that day. The attention to detail was incredible, as well as the versatility of food decorating ingredients. Our Caprese salad looked (and tasted) like a dream: the colourful dish prepared from different types of tomatoes plus light and creamy mozzarella (coming straight from Italy) was served on a concrete-grey plate with basil leaves, edible flower petals, and sliced black olives, with baguette as a side. Hungarian ratatouille, a vegetable stew that we call lecsó looked similarly mouth-watering, and oh, how flavourful it was! The seasoning was perfect, and tomato, paprika, the boiled eggs and the heavenly sausage slices created a very well-balanced flavour. Believe us when we say: their lecsó is a must-try, so if you are vegetarian, ask for the sausage-free option.

The dessert counter was calling our names too, so one of us digged a fork into Kalitka’s specialty, a signature sweet treat: a vanilla-soaked brioche served with “Mom’s jam”, almond slices, icing sugar and colourful, dry flower petals. It was as awesome as it sounds: the sweetness of the brioche and the mild sourness of the jam created a brilliant combo. The other delicacy, a chocolate mousse was also home-made with a list of creative twists; on top of the chocolate cream they put a layer of cookie crumbles, sour cherry compote, and as garnish, dry flowers and fresh lemon balm. Truly, it was a masterpiece. If you get the chance to taste it, do in a way that you have a layer of everything on your spoon; it will definitely wow your taste buds.

Based on what we’ve eaten, it is safe to say that Kalitka’s staff and management are as professional as can be. We’ve had a blast in every possible way and can’t wait to return and try something else from the bistro’s inviting repertoire. Until next time, Kalitka!

Opening hours: 8 AM to 8 PM

Photos: Kriszti Németh – Egy jó kép rólad

Why did you choose this career?

I’ve always been interested in fashion and handicraft. A dear relative of mine once mentioned hat designing and linked me up with a milliner in Budapest. I immediately fell in love with this profession. I’ve been working as a hat maker and designer for almost 10 years now. My own brand was established in 2016, prior to that I was studying, developing my skills, and also worked at a bigger studio in London.

What makes your hats special?

Every year there’s at least one exciting colour in my collection. This time I picked turquoise, while in previous years a faded lavender and baby pink were my choices.  I like when a hat is special both in shape and colour, and I’m happy to see that more and more people are open to that. I follow my own set of rules that even a classical shape can become unique. I prefer fine lines to edgy shapes and also, a little asymmetry never killed nobody. My ultimate goal is to create contemporary pieces with a classic edge.

What do you like to do the most?

Making custom pieces for special occasions like fashion shows, horse races, weddings, or fun parties are always exciting to make. My customers like to look stunning, and a hat or a headpiece is a perfect finishing touch. I’m always happy when someone orders a piece like that.

Where are your products available?

Currently, I only work for the Hungarian market: my hats are available at MARGOT concept store, as well as in my own studio. I am working on expanding my capacity to enter the foreign market. Fortunately, the number of foreigners interested in my brand is continuously growing. Once a customer contacted me because wherever she travels, she orders a hat from there. At the end, she didn’t stop at just one.

How long does it take to make a hat?

It depends on what type of hat we are talking about. The regular pieces in my collections take less time than custom-made ones. The process could take as long as 40 hours. Usually, I need at least 2 days to finish any piece. These products are handmade, and the drying of the material only takes up to 24 hours.

Based on what should we choose a hat?

In my opinion, the most important is that you feel good when wearing a hat. You must like how the colour and the shape looks on you, and have the feeling that you will pull it off and look great in it. Also, the chosen hat should go well with your other wardrobe items, and fit to your lifestyle.

How much does it cost, and why should we all own one?

A good hat feels invisible. It gives you an extra, some kind of an unexplainable fizzle. It’s the icing on the cake that crowns your outfit. Even a simple jean – shirt combination can be spiced up with a hat. In Hungary, my products are considered to be in a higher price range, but in the international market they are actually quite cheap. Nonetheless, I want to create something that is not a seasonal purchase but a style investment. If you take good care of your hat, you’ll be able to wear it for years. But just like shoes need maintenance, hats also have to be cleaned and dusted. How you store them also matters, you shouldn’t put them on top of each other, for instance.

What are the rules of wearing a hat?

There are many rules, indeed. Lately, I’ve noticed that when it’s raining, more and more hats appear on the streets. Even though there are waterproof hats which are perfect for that weather, risking to soak an ordinary piece isn’t a good idea. Many things could happen to a hat before it loses shape or gets seriously damaged, but using it instead of an umbrella is no way recommended. Also, a hat has a front and a back side, and I often see people wearing it the other way around, probably because they think it looks better that way. But in my opinion, it’s just not the right hat for them.

Photos: Egy jó kép rólad (Kriszti Németh)

On top of all, Szputnyik’s products are also the perfect choice when you’re looking for the most unique and sustainable, world-favourite brands such as Fjallraven bags, TOMS, PAEZ or Dr.Martens shoes. It doesn’t really matter if you’re closer to killer rock or consider yourself more of the hippie persuasion; if you want unique designer items or interesting second-hand pieces, you don’t need to look further than Szputnyik.

Check out the shops’ incredible pieces personally in Dohány utca and Király utca, or take a look at the online selections in the webshop. You will find everything you were looking for. Be above the trends and show your true colours! Get inspired by affordable fashion and give your look a feeling of freedom and uncluttered creativity! Find Szputnyik on social media, click here or here!

Ginte

Ginte accessories are handmade pieces for city women, who feel down to earth and value natural beauty with a bit of sparkle. Ginte is making sustainable accessories, using natural druzy stones and freshwater pearls. All the adornments are special, one-of-a-kind piece of art. Feel unique and feminine wearing earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings and other accessories from the new Ginte Accessories Viva La Perla collection! Feel unique and feminine wearing earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings from new Ginte Accessories Viva La Perla collection!

LINDAMELINDA

Eclectic and feminine, LINDAMELINDA is a contemporary collection featuring an array of silhouettes from convertible party dresses to beachwear. Linda set up “LINDAMELINDA” brand to convey her fashion sensibility in wearable works of art. Her goal is to offer well-made, superb quality, clear-out wears for confident women.

Muralpixel

Abstract artist Ildikó Beke-Révay. A thought, a fantasy that forms unity with the participants. A dream, often thought in a picture, a memory, or just the answer to the bad days. More than images, more than materials, colours, shapes. One print.

 NES

NES produces effortless hand-made shoes in a sustainable way for self-conscious people. The brand uses eco-friendly materials for their locally produced designs, including leather with vegetal tanning and pinatex as well for their fully vegan models.

VENGRU

Be a Designer! One of VENGRU’s key features is that you can customize bags according to your own style through their interactive website. New features can be added to the „V” shape on the front, which completely change the look of the bags.

Find them at 1061 Budapest, Paulay Ede utca 15!

Stripes with florals? Why not?! Leather with cotton, metallic with lace? Hell, yeah! Combining characteristic pieces to create something new and extraordinary is what makes fashion exciting. Get inspired, and spice up your original look sampling from the best vintage and new designs.

Szputnyik Shop is a fashion concept born as the mixture of old and new, romantic vintage, and provocative modern styles. Its two Budapest stores are astonishingly unusual spots in the Hungarian fashion field, where everyone can easily find the clothes most fitting to their character and style. With an already wide selection of the newest small-scale designer items and the best quality selected vintage clothing and accessories, Szputnyik shop is the most epic destination for fashion-enthusiasts who come to visit Budapest. Especially when someone is looking for the best, most unique pieces, and world famous sustainable brands such as Fjallraven bags, TOMS, PAEZ or Dr.Martens shoes.

Visit their stores or shop online, and let self-expressing break through the walls of reality. Style-wise something much more exciting is waiting for you on the other side.

Szputnyik shop (1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 20.) /Mon-Sat: 10 AM – 8 PM, Sun: 10 AM – 6 PM

Szputnyik shop – K22 (1062 Budapest, Király u. 22. /Káldy u. 1.) Mon-Sat: 11 AM – 9 PM Sun: 11 AM – 7 PM