Gaia Repossi on establishing a modern identity for a heritage jewelry house
After she became the creative and artistic director of her family business – renowned Italian jewelry house Repossi – at the age of 21, GAIA REPOSSI’s minimalist, architectural aesthetic was an instant success. She tells SARAH ROYCE-GREENSILL about modernizing a heritage brand, Karl Lagerfeld’s encouragement and how she deals with her work being imitated
My father and grandfather were jewelers, but I never intended to join the family business. I wanted to be a painter. I was born in Turin, Italy, where my grandfather opened his first shop in the 1950s, and I grew up between Paris and Monaco. As a child, I remember my grandfather showing me his drawings, and my father was always painting and sketching. I inherited their artistic hand and eye.
My father had a very 1980s aesthetic: big volume, huge precious gemstones. His jewelry was photographed by Helmut Newton and suited classically glamorous, strong women. My grandfather was part of an Italian art deco design movement; they were both of their time.
My mother had a huge passion for fashion and adornment. She always said that a lot of jewelry requires a simpler outfit. I wouldn’t call it minimalism, because my father’s jewelry was a statement, but she taught me the importance of balance.
I studied fine art at the Beaux Arts in Paris, then archaeology and anthropology at the Sorbonne. I came across a lot of tribal jewelry – totally different from the jewelry I was used to, but I realized there was an overlap between my interests and my family business.
“The Repossi aesthetic reflects my personal style. It’s understated. Minimalism is a clichéd word, but simplicity is a statement
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During university, I helped my father on the house’s image and designs, and in 2007, when I was 21, I became creative and artistic director. It felt natural; I was mature for my age, and my father had also started young. I had complete creative freedom to express myself as much as I wanted.
At that time, I felt the industry had become soulless. There was no real design, very few true artists or jewelers. I thought, fashion reinvents itself constantly, so why can’t jewelry? What do contemporary women actually want to wear? That’s what was missing.
The Repossi aesthetic reflects my personal style. It’s understated. Minimalism is a clichéd word, but simplicity is a statement. It’s like architecture, designed to be placed in specific spots on the body. Some jewelers design things that look pretty when not being worn, but for me, the most important thing is that it looks amazing on. In our ‘Serti Sur Vide’ rings, diamonds appear to float between the fingers. It elongates the hand and looks far more elegant than showing off a giant rock.
I see inspiration everywhere. My eye is drawn to metallic objects, architecture and sculpture. The difficult part is translating it into your own aesthetic.
“The Repossi woman is interested in modernity – she’s ahead of her time. The first person who bought our black-gold ‘Antifer’ ring was the artist Cindy Sherman
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My first collection, ‘Berbère’, was inspired by the finger tattoos of the North African Berber tribes. I created very simple rings and ear cuffs, with a stacking volume that became part of our style language. It was an immediate success. Karl Lagerfeld told me, “Go for it – no one else is doing this.” Carine Roitfeld put it all over Vogue Paris, and all of a sudden, jewelry appeared in every fashion shoot, with the best photographers and models.
The Repossi woman is interested in modernity – she’s ahead of her time. The first person who bought our black-gold ‘Antifer’ ring was the artist Cindy Sherman. She immediately understood it. The actors who have worn our jewelry – Alicia Vikander, Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Sevigny – are all intelligent and interesting women who were naturally drawn to it.
My aesthetic has been imitated across the industry. Any designer who experiences that feels overwhelmed and a bit sad. But Saint Laurent once said, never change your style. It’s part of the game, and it means the language you’ve established has been understood and appreciated.
“Jewelry is an applied art; it requires perfectionism. You have to respect tradition and have a foundation of quality craft and precision before there is space for creativity
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We still use the same workshop in Turin that my grandfather did. The aesthetic is very different, but the hand of the craftsperson remains, and is visible. Jewelry is an applied art; it requires perfectionism. You have to respect tradition and have a foundation of quality craft and precision before there is space for creativity. I was lucky to inherit an atelier that I could push to experiment with new techniques – the foundations were already in place.
My father and I worked together for over 10 years. There was a lot to do, getting a small heritage company to function today. We were involved in every aspect. Although we have different tastes – I’m drawn to contemporary art, whereas he is drawn to classic luxury – we have similar personalities, so there was never any confrontation. I inherited my taste in stones from my father; there is a definite Repossi palette, almost like a painter’s. It’s delicate; every stone has to have a soul.
The Covid-19 crisis has affected the economy, but people are still drawn to jewelry. They expect quality over quantity. Pierpaolo Piccioli talks about fashion’s ability to bring joy. Jewelry is uplifting, creative, a statement that will last forever. We have high-end, incredibly rare pieces that are a serious investment. But we also have simple, modern objects that are available to anyone.
The model featured in this story is not associated with NET-A-PORTER and does not endorse it or the products shown