Luxury and Design - Costis

While young, his very first present to his mother was a ring, which he created out of simple wire and a street pebble! After working as an intern in the workshop of IliasLalaounis, one of the best internationally well-known Greek jeweller, he formalised his studies on Jewellery and Industrial Design at the Benvenuto Cellini Institute of Art, in Valenza, Italy, the world center of high end jewellery. During his studies there, he gained invaluable experience while working next to world famous designers, such as Carlo Pianzola, who designed a great number of pieces for Bulgari and won the Design DeBeers contest twice. With utmost contentment, he humblyshares his proud moments, “When in Valenza, I was an apprentice for the best workshops of the town, under the guidance of Carlo Pianzola. Years later, I felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction when I was informed that I was one of two mostly voted new entrants for Couture 2012, as well as named one the best jewellery designers, besides Cartier, Harry Winston and Van Cleef&Arpels on a rating by justluxe.com. Finally, I am a member of the Italian ADI, the Association of Industrial Design. But, what has really touched me the most are the words of one of my Greek customers, who, after receiving a custom-made piece designed especially for her, told me,‘Thank you for making our life more beautiful.’”

After the completion of his studies with highest distinction, Costis transferred the Italian expertise on elite jewellery to Greece and contributed his designs to the most well known Greek brands. Here, he shares an anecdote that changed his life, “I learned a truly remarkable lesson when in 2005, one of the biggest Italian firms, having worldwide points of sale, proposed me the position previously held by Gianni Versace, in order to promote my own line of home silverware under their name. Due to some very serious family reasons, I was unable to accept their offer, which would be so defining for my career. I always thought that this was the once-in-a-lifetime chance that I would have in the industry. However, I worked hard and managed to convert my initial disappointment to passionate and productive energy, which led to the creation of even more genuine and unique collections, which drove me where I am today: going over the Greek borders and landing on select Neiman Marcus stores across the U.S.”

Nevertheless, he decided to take a step forward and set up his own studio and workshop where he could explore forms, colours, ideas and possibilities more freely and creatively: in 1994 the high-end ‘Costis’ House of Jewellery& Design was established.Having spent 20 years in the industry, he modestly shares his learning, “The most important lesson to be learnt is that you never know everything. You always have to ask yourself questions, try to find the answers and engage in lifetime learning, because this is the only way to meliorate as a person and as a professional. My 20 years of experience have also taught me that believing in and striving for the right collaborations and partnerships is of utmost importance, because it strengthens the possibility for a company and a brand to grow and prosper.”

Experimentation, ingenious custom made designs and attention to every detail became synonymous with Costis creations. Playful rings, embracing necklaces, joyful pendants, twisted crosses, transformable bracelets, all designed for people that seek perfection and dare to differ. Drawing his inspiration from nature, he artistically explains, “I am constantly travelling, observing the world around me, and trying to get to know differently places, people, and ways of living. This is why my inspiration stems from literally everything. My jewellery is a mix of nature, architecture, sculpture, and mechanics. Observation is the first crucial element in my study, which is followed by analysis and experimentation. Understanding how things work, how harmony is achieved in nature, in everything that surrounds us, is what makes jewellery creation an easy process for me. Jewellery is a miniature of nature, an example of wearable art, and my quest is to always give the right volume to every piece, so that there is harmony and symmetry in it, as there is in every creation around us. My motto is ‘dynamic design is our power’.”

Pieces by Costis are designed for the modern, sophisticated woman who desire for a truly unique piece of jewellery, and wants to be distinct from all the others. Costis pieces are unique and the word that characterises them is ‘different’. Nothing is the same as what someone can usually find in a jewellery window, “I combine mechanics and form in my creations under the belief that jewellery should be as alive as the person wearing it, and thus become a part of the bearer,” he explains. Costis creates a synergy of innovative designs, precious stones and metals combined with superb craftsmanship, produces fascinating pieces of art; small, handmade masterpieces to represent an idea, to mark a special moment.Celebrating the physical forms by reinterpreting them into different, unique, state-of-the-art shapes, nothing is still; he makes everything come alive. “My philosophy is to create jewellery by incorporating functionality into luxury and design. The outcome is pieces that are beautiful and elegant, but also very easy to wear, they can be worn everyday without being heavy or disturbing. This is the difference between design per se and practical design. This also holds true about everything that surrounds me in my everyday life, ranging from my home and working space, till the car I drive and the clothes I wear. I like to wear casual chic clothes, something that makes me feel nice but also gives me the freedom to move around freely. As far as jewellery, I always wear one of my lucky charms. I create a new, original and pioneering lucky charm for every New Year. I never take it off. It really brings me luck!”

Every single creation is the outcome of endless research, continuous experimentation and years of expertise. Every single piece stems from love for beauty and perfection. Every single original Costis design is unique and timeless. “Aesthetics is influenced by the environment we live in and we see every day. Therefore, I do not have something specific to recommend to Indian urban women, but rather I would like to give a universal advice: jewellery is a truly individual choice and it reflects different characters and personalities. Choosing a piece of jewellery is a personal issue and every woman should wear what she thinks is best for her according to her allure, her mood and the particular moment”, he explains.

Costisjewellery possesses a timeless versatility coupled with luxury and craftsmanship that has positioned the Costis House of Jewellery and Design as a luxury brand. Hence, it is nothing new to see celebrities’ admiration for Costis. “It is truly a great sense of personal satisfaction to see that someone else has chosen for his/her personal and important moment to wear something that I designed and created after long hours of design, experimentation and creation. Every piece of jewellery is a little child of mine, it contains something of me, and I get so emotional to see that someone else can relate to my thoughts, aspirations and style,” he expresses. “My muse is the nature around me, architecture, mechanics and life itself, constantly moving, changing, and taking different forms and identities. This is why I usually incorporate movement in my designs: life is not still, so why should our jewellery be? So, I would say that my muse could be anything from a bright day, a nice picture and a wonderful piece of news, whatever could lift off my mood. However, I would love to see Angelina Jolie wearing one of my pieces. I believe she is the perfect example of a modern, dynamic woman, with so many interests and qualities, versatile and yet so perfect,” he confesses.

His creations present a variety of stones, be it coloured diamonds, coloured gemstones and more. “What is important is the fascination that I get out of each stone, the story that each gem has to tell, and the way it ‘talks’ to you when you examine it through the light. The sparkles, the depth, the colour intensity have always amazed me. This is why I have designed collections where the stones are not still, but they move along with the movement of the bearer, allowing light to enter and reveal the stone’s true glory. However, the combination of a coloured stone with diamonds is the best way to emphasise the rarity and the preciousness of both the materials, and the design,” he says with a sparkle in his eyes. “I do not have a favourite metal or gemstone because each design ‘whispers’ to me the materials it should be made of. It is not me the one who decides, but the piece that ‘asks’ for the different materials. However, I must admit that I find colour combinations very intriguing, and I use them a lot in my creations. I use colour diamonds if the design ‘asks’ for it. And I find very fascinating the fact that colour diamonds offer colour with the sparkle of a diamond, making it a combination that is hard to resist. Diamonds are not the kings of the gems by accident, after all.”

Currently working on the piece for the Couture Awards 2013 and micro sculpting the initial form in wax, he informs about his one of the latest collections, “My ‘Pencil Collection’ was especially designed as a tribute for my U.S. market Debut in 2012. I wanted to create jewellery out of something very simple, yet so representative of my work: my most indispensable tool, the pencil- I always have a pencil and a piece of paper in my hands, taking notes and designing new sketches. So, at first, the bracelet was created: an exact reproduction of a pencil wrapped around the wrist, ornamented with precious stones. It is a design I love, because it was inspired in a city I love, Istanbul, when I was relaxing looking over Bosphorus. Then the earrings were created, which follow the same concept but a different form. They are actually the shavings of the pencil when sharpened, and they are so well studied that they sit on the lobe miracoulously! This is a thoroughly thought set, there is absolute harmony on the design’s concept, but a woman can wear both pieces without having on something boring and overwhelming.”

What is happening right now at Costis, is a feverish preparation for the new pieces which will be launched at Couture 2013, Las Vegas. They are working on a brand new organic collection, as well as the piece for the Show’s Awards. “My imagination has no limits, therefore I do not like to set boundaries and schedule myself. I cannot tell where I will be in 5 years from now, but what I do know is that I will have created more fascinating and original collections by improving my capabilities and standards. And judging from my steps abroad so far, my work will be present in more countries besides U.S.A,” he shares his future plans.

Besides work, in his personal life too he adores every aspect of art. He likes to paint and sculpt, and is currently penning a novel. Moreover, sharing his love for photography, he adds, “After a trip or an event, I like to create video clips out of the pictures taken, where I am the director and the writer of the captions. My friends really enjoy these ‘video albums’.” Something else that he also finds very exhilarating and relaxing is cooking, “I experiment with new recipes and strange ingredients. I am tempted to cook at home whatever delicious I have tried at a restaurant, without having the recipe, just by guessing it.” Indeed creativity and art is all what he lives for! Wrapping up the conversation with a piece of advice for the young budding designers he concludes, “My advice to them is to let their imagination free, and keep on creating with no boundaries. It is crucial to enrich their minds with different pictures from different places and different cultures. Travelling and observation are necessary prerequisites if they want to produce original work. Moreover, they should not limit themselves only on hands-on experience, but also study the subject academically. Finally, knowing every stage of the jewellery creation process, from conception of the idea, to designing and production, even marketing is mandatory.”