Experts and specialists are needed to bring back the beauty of an old painting, to restore the glamour that the art formerly had. By why do we restore artworks anyway? It’s because their value isn’t easily measured by their price alone. Many of them are totally irreplaceable and very rare. And the authenticity one would get from restoring an old art isn’t the same with creating a new one.
This wisdom can be applied with the “restoration” of the Italian luxury jewelry brand, Repossi. But instead of art experts and specialists, the brand had a fourth-generation member of the family add her own spin to the brand, renewing everything and leading the brand to reach a new level of grandeur for the modern times.
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A family affair
The jewelry house was built by Gian Petro Repossi in Turin, Italy back in 1920. From his creation, the brand has become a total family affair, one that has been passed from generation to generation. The first father to son turnover happened during the post-war period when Constantin Repossi handled the Italian workshops after he graduated with an industrial design degree. Constantin built and launched the first ever boutique bearing his family name in 1949.
Constantin’s son, Alberto, got to be involved in the family business at a very young age. He was the one responsible for the expansion of the brand to different locations, including the launch of shops and boutiques in Monte-Carlo and the coveted 6 Place Vendôme in Paris. The father to son tradition came to an end and gave way to a father to daughter transition when Gaia Repossi, Alberto’s daughter, took over the handling of the jewelry house after graduating at 21 years old.
The takeover
Even while Gaia was just studying her industrial degree and then her archaeology and anthropology postgraduate degree, she was already a huge part of the family’s business. She would often pitch in ideas for campaigns and designs until she finally launch her first collection as an official head of the company. Her artistic flair was already apparent form the get go, especially when she insistently added to the first collection the idea of wearing a T-shirt together with the necklace.
It was a style that was never before seen in haute joaillerie; and while it was odd for some back then, it became the signature style of the brand and the designer. Gaia’s became a refreshing element not only to the brand, but to the fine jewelry industry—her effortless chic and androgynous style even becoming a cult favorite.
Gaia takes after the creativity and artistic abilities of her father, that’s for sure, but she has a certain charm and way that allowed her designs to start new trends and crazes, redefining what luxury means in the world of jewelry. She is the starter of the stacking trend and the ear cuff craze, which earned her a cult following not only with common jewelry fans, but among fashion editors and It girls, as well.
Located at the heart of fine jewelry scene
Repossi has its headquarters situated at the exclusive 1st arrondissement of Place Vendôme in Paris—the center of all the most luxurious and finest jewelry in the world. It is a place where the famous and the rich go for jewelry needs, a testament to that are the line-up of the luxury jewely fashion houses residing on the same place: at number 1, Chopard; at number 26, Boucheron; at number 22, Van Cleef & Arpels, and at number 6, Repossi.
It promises to be a cool, clean-lined antidote to the traditional grandeur of its neighbours. For Gaia Repossi, whose great-grandfather began the company in Italy in 1920, the store is the latest innovation in her quest to bring a modern outlook to a world steeped in tradition.
Such glamorous residence equates to more glamorous clientele, as well. Repossi’s pieces have been seen shining on the red carpet for countless of occasions. Some of the famous clients of the brand include Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton, both exuding a timeless style and finesse. For the younger A-list clients the brand has adorned with their jewelry, Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander, Dakota Johnson, and Carey Mulligan are part of the list. It was the cool and more laid-back options that the brand offered which charmed these actresses into wearing one or two of their pieces. Their pieces reflected the true style of each one of them, and they can’t help but go back and have some more of what Repossi can give them.
Fresh designs, same artisanship
The main themes of the brand’s renewed style when Gaia entered the business were mainly “minimal” and “modern”. Although these two themes are highly reflected in the jewelry, the back story of each piece run deeper than just these styles. Gaia’s designs are highly influenced by her wide knowledge on arhictecture, art and ancient civilizations. For example, the brand’s Noise collection has hints of inspiration from sculptural works of Richard Serra and Alexander Calder, shown through the scribble-like details and curved pieces in the jewelry. On the other hand, the Berbère earrings and rings of the brand is reflective of the tribal tattoos of Tuareg Berbers in North Africa, styled with the refined bands and modernized sophistication.
Gaia has done a lot of new designs and fresh campaigns for the brand, yet she retained and continued the experiments of her father. In such way, Repossi was still able to maintain its classic appeal, especially to its old clients. Likewise, Repossi still retained most, if not all, artisans from their original workshops. This included the Chief of the Valenza atelier, who has been with the brand since the 1980s and has worked with her grandfather before.
Such combination of fresh designs and classic elements of artisanship allows Repossi to stand out amongst all the fine jewelry brands of today. The brand even caught the attention of the well-esteemed LVMH, which eventually invested in the brand and company. With such collaborative efforts and the Gaia’s continued impressive designs and management, Repossi is sure to face more successes in its horizon.
