Repossi Jewelry represents the best of classic Old World craftsmanship and the dynamic design from new ways of seeing the world. The company’s current artistic director is Gaia Repossi, whose pedigree goes back generations to her great-grandfather, who founded the company in Paris in 1925.
Today, in her late 20s, she’s responsible for launching new lines and approving the look of every piece.
This position is more of than title she inherited at age 20. Along with having access to a dynasty of designs and insight into a very successful family fashion and jewelry business, she also strived to advance her own knowledge by earning not just a degree in fine arts but master’s degrees in anthropology and archeology. Studying cultures such as nomadic and deset tribes gave her a greater perspective on the artwork of other cultures including tribal adornments and ethnic silhouettes.
Interestingly, it’s this international experience that drew her back into something she said she initially rebelled against. She told the Guardian that she initially thought the established family style just wasn’t creative enough. In fact, she thought it had become something stuffy over the years, focusing too much on showing off one’s wealth.
She focused on painting at first, but her father asked to return to take over marketing and later art, which gave her permission to renew the look and feel, and bring in more youthful, informal touches and a global perspective.
Contemporary pieces include elements of Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Minimal is a big part – you won’t find rope-like gold or other ostentatious touches, instead these pieces are smaller and more exciting, such as when you can catch someone’s eye with a strategically placed gemstone or sparkling image.
Ophydienne 18-karat rose gold diamond ring
Gaia Repossi has also reached out to contemporaries in the art and fashion world, such as collaborations with designer Joseph Altuzarra and designer Alexander Wang, which resulted in chain bracelets in burnt gold, black silver, black gold or yellow gold. She’s also enlisted the aid of other friends and professional colleagues to enhance her creativity and portray jewelry not just as cultural adornment but works of art not unlike sculptures.
This can include variations in accepted Western jewelry attire – for instance, some of her earrings can wrap around both sides of the earlobe rather than hanging down. Or bracelets can be longer and taller, more of a cuff rather than a traditional band.
Berbère 18-karat gold diamond ear cuff
Repossi pieces have been seen worldwide, including in Vogue Paris, Vogue Japan and Vogue U.K. in 2013. Current collections include Serpent, which features a snake made out diamond links, or a bracelet with snake-like scales.
One of her most elegant high jewelry pieces is a 24 ct diamond set on empty, which really draws one eye to the matching gems.
Today, Repossi says her influences are coming more from the broader art world instead of just her peers in the jewelry and fashion world. Everyone from Gustav Klint to the Bauhaus architectural revival, even some Japanese styles, influence the current collections.
She tells Elle that she first imagines where pieces can go on the body, and then sketches out the idea.
