It was back in the 1940s that the original House of Repossi was founded in Torino, Italy. And in 1950 that the first flagship store opened. In 1974 Alberto Repossi became creative director of the house which would go on to make something of an iconic name for itself during the 1980s. A family legacy of artists and designers, it extended from father to son and then from father to daughter. In 1994, the house became official purveyor of H.R.H the Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Costantino Repossi took the helm of his father’s Italian atelier and founded the brand during the post war years once he had finished his studies in industrial design. A new modernist era was approaching in Italy and Constantino embraced this with his Art Deco and Avant-Garde collections, which were the earliest creations of the house. They represented perfectly the combination of his artistic and technical backgrounds.
It was after learning the high craftsmanship techniques synonymous with the house that his son Alberto started designing his own pieces at a very young age. And it was Alberto who propelled the House of Repossi into becoming an international brand with global influence: he opened his first Monte Carlo flagship store in 1979, followed by the Paris store in 1986 – the year his daughter Gaia was born.
Today, Repossi – which is recognisable by its modern twist on classic and architectural jewellery – is headed up by Gaia, who was born in 1986 in Turin, and took over creative directorship in 2007. She was just 21 years old. But had grown up surrounded by her father’s passion for creating artistic jewellery pieces. Studying painting at the Beaux Arts of Paris, she obtained a master’s degree in archeology and, during her studies, Gaia gradually entered the world of Repossi.
Many of her references stem from her passion for contemporary art and the effects of metal within modern sculpture and architecture. In particular, she takes inspiration from the works of Alexander Calder, Cy Twombly, Franz West, Richard Serra and Le Corbusier, as well as the Brutalist, Minimalist and Bauhaus movements. The boundaries between architecture and traditional high jewelry techniques are pushed and Gaia’s designs are characterised by modern, minimalist motifs and the innovative use of complex patterns.
It was in 2010 that Gaia collaborated with Alexander Wang on his New York Fashion Week autumn/winter runway show; and worked with Joseph Altuzarra. Not long after was the launch of the Berbère Collection (notable for its ear cuff), which would become a hit for the House of Repossi, establishing it as an influential voice in the fashion industry and the world of high jewellery. There have also been collaborations with photographers such as David Sims and the artist Vivian Sassen. Typically these have helped in the development of collections and their visuals.
The house’s Place Vendome store opened in 1986 and in 2017, Gaia collaborated with Rem Koolhaas for its new design. Two years later, in 2019, the Brevis collection debuted – characterised by high jewellery pieces floating and a rhythmic classic binary order.
Alberto Repossi is the grandson of the founder of the house and also president of the brand. He trained in his father’s ateliers as a silversmith craftsman and joined his father in the family business in the early 1970s. He is noted for transforming the house: known for one-of-a-kind jewellery and exclusivity.
In particular, he specialises in precious stones and is a skilled drawer, enabling him to have created some of the house’s icons. He is fascinated by exceptional stones and has a fascination for ancient civilisations and Indian traditional jewellery.
Serti sur Vide, Serte Inverse, Blast, Berbere and Antifer are among its signature collections.
