Spotted on everyone from Bridgerton and Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan to Kate Hudson, London-based but Greek-at-heart jewellery brand Ysso is fast becoming the fashion set’s adornment of choice.
We caught up with founder Alexia Karides — who designs every Ysso piece with her mother Stalo, a former archaeologist — to find out how she went from City lawyer to full-time creative (winning the rat race, surely), and chat about the importance of jewellery in Greek heritage, working with Athenian artisans and the scenic spot in Greece she returns to time and again…
What led you to creating your brand, Ysso?
I was working in the City as a lawyer and I found myself really wanting to do something creative. My mother, who used to be an archaeologist, had been designing jewellery for 30 years already. I used to wear her designs at work and a lot of people would ask where they were from. I realised I had started using jewellery as a way to express my personality. I was in a corporate environment and had a very specific way of dressing. The only thing that was non-controversial was jewellery. It was a form of self-expression at a time when I wasn’t very happy at work. And it became my mission to bring Greek artisans to the forefront. ‘Made in Greece’ is something that we need to champion – we have a very strong tradition in jewellery-making as a nation.
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Describe Ysso in five words
Self-expression. Moments. Stories. Genuine. Personal.
Why is it important for your workshop to be in Athens? What’s special about the artisans you use?
That was part of our core mission. Our traditions in jewellery-making as a country are something I discovered, I didn’t even know about them growing up. Artisans tie in with these traditions – jewellery in Greece is a very cultural thing. We wanted to maintain that, while creating designs that are unusual and not the super-traditional designs of Ancient Greece. There is a modernity to them. I wanted to merge the two, to preserve craftsmanship in our world. These artisans wouldn’t be able to sustain themselves with an international audience without there being modernity in the designs. Making that bridge was very interesting to me. We use the traditional techniques that were used to make sculptures and jewellery in Ancient Greece. We don’t design using a computer. There’s an element of the handcrafted and hand-sculpted throughout our process.
Why is sustainability important to you and your brand, and what initiatives have you put in place?
For me, the whole thing starts from the design and your business model. Ours is not one that encourages newness and constantly tries to sell to people – it’s not fast fashion. We launch new designs, but not on a weekly basis, and we don’t do ‘drops’ to create artificial urgency. There’s an element of scarcity to our product, because we make them by hand there’s only so much we can make.
We don’t use anyone externally for the creative, it’s just my mother and me. We manufacture with up to 35% recyclable metals, we make very small quantities of each design, sometimes fewer than 10. Minimal stock and waste is very important to us. We ship using sustainable delivery methods and our boxes are made from recycled FSG materials.
How does Greek mythology influence your work? Do you have a favourite myth that you’re inspired by?
Mythology is the first thing we’re taught at school, one of my first memories is learning about it. I love seeing the landscape of Greece and imagining myself among the Ancient Greeks, having nothing but the elements around us and seeing the world through these myths. It is a very beautiful thing to think about, how they understood the world through these stories and tried to make sense of it all while advancing in science at the same time.
Gold or silver?
Both! I mix them, my mother doesn’t. I mix them separately, as in far away from each other – I wouldn’t put gold and silver together on one hand, unless it’s quite discreet. It depends. Our silver is quite icy, so it looks good with the cool yellow that we have in our gold.
Favourite Ysso design
It’s hard to choose, but I love the Ilios earrings, because they’re so perfect for summer – Ilios means ‘sun’ in Greek, after all.
Where is your favourite place in Greece and your ultimate Greek travel tip?
I love the Peloponnese. It’s great for road trips and just having a very relaxing time and not doing very much.
What is your favourite Smith hotel in Greece?
Dexemenes Seaside Hotel in the western Peloponnese is very cool. There’s really nothing around – it’s an old winery that has been made modern. It’s very arid and the beach in front is insane, it’s a huge stretch.
Tell us about your new collection, and why you chose One&Only Kéa Island as the venue to launch it
We have a collaboration with One&Only Kéa Island, for which we created a six-piece collection directly inspired by the island. It was to create a tangible memory of someone’s holiday. One piece is a gold acorn, which the island is famous for, on a black cord that has ‘Kéa’ engraved on it, reminiscent of the engraving on Ancient Greek coins. I wanted to bring that storytelling and use our work as a vehicle to make Greek design more internationally known.
See Ysso‘s jewellery collection or shop it on Net-a-Porter
Photography by Hannah Dace