Exclusive interview with Mr. Benjamin Comar, CEO of the House of Repossi.
Last week, Repossi opened its first stand-alone boutique in the Middle East, at The Dubai Mall, in the new Fashion Avenue extension - its third store worldwide, after Paris in 1986 and Monaco in 1977. The store has been designed to complete Repossi’s signature style: the interiors are imbued with warm tones and touches of metal. The exterior uses a contemporary and modern frame that echoes the brand’s emblematic collections. The following is an insight interview with the brand’s CEO: You became CEO of Repossi Jewellery house in September 2017, what is your vision for the brand?
Repossi is a 100 year- old brand where all the products have been created in the 21st century. It created new ways of wearing jewelry, looking into the future and not the past. It is the brand for women of today: I call it ‘the new Jewelry generation’
Repossi is an Italian brand that reflects and promotes minimal and modern luxury, are you going to keep building up on this term only?
Repossi was originally founded in Italy, but I think it is now more an international brand that a pure Italian brand. The headquarters are in Paris… As per the modernity, yes we want to remain at the edge of the jewelry market.
In your opinion why would women choose Repossi when there are many other choices available in the market?
Repossi is all about modern sophistication with a traditional savoir-faire that we want to keep and preserve. I think that this is what sets us apart from the other Jewelry brands; we have a strong identity that is very unique. Gaia Repossi, Creative Designer of the House, is a young and modern woman, and she understands what women want to buy and wear. Clients now want to mix and stack collections. Gaia’s designs are perfect for this and she set a trend with Berbère, Antifer and Serti sur Vide that have become our iconic pieces. Our designs speak to all ages, from 40-year-old active women, to the generation of Millennials.
How are you coping with the growing competition?
The Jewelry market, generally speaking is very competitive, but it’s important for us to remain steady and focus on our goals. We want to develop the brand internationally, give it a new dynamic, and give access to our products to clients all over the world, but still want to protect our DNA. The brand is almost 100 year-old but has created major pieces and collection in the last decade, with a unique style, shaking the traditional jewelry landscape. We want to offer the best pieces of Jewelry, capitalizing on our craftsmanship, uniqueness and high quality but with a modern and contemporary.
Where does Repossi Jewellery House stand from the growing trend of sustainable jewellery? Kindly explain your thoughts and approach.
We will be soon member of the RJC (Responsible Jewelry Council) that is very demanding on the quality and origin of the materials we use but also of our process. I think sustainable jewelry is the future and we are constantly working in order to improve our sustainably. Major operations will come in the future soon.
Why did you choose Dubai to open your first boutique in the region? What are your expectations?
Opening in Dubai, especially at the Dubai Mall completely makes sense, as we want to be where our clients are. Besides the people who shop there come not only from Dubai, but also from the wider Middle East, India, Europe and China, reflecting Dubai’s status as an international travel hub.
Dubai also has become a luxury destination like Avenue Montaigne.
It was time for us to have a presence in the region and this is the perfect occasion for us to bring Repossi to the customers through The Dubai Mall, as we have been lucky to receive GCC customers in our Paris and Monaco store for many years. It marks an important milestone for Repossi, after opening its first store in Paris in 1986 and we want to offer a full customer experience in our store, and use our creativity to stand out.
What is your approach to online sales?
We know that online has been taking a huge part in daily life, and more and more customers, especially in the GCC region are actually buying more through digital devices. However we think it’s important to keep the store at the center of our strategy, people will still want to try before making a purchase and this is even more crucial for Jewelry: the attention to details, the quality of the work, how the piece will be worn, ect…. Services as well is key, the treatment you get in a store will never be the same from an online website. That being said it’s something we are keeping in mind as the Middle East is on the frontier of change and customers are know for being digitally savvy so we’ll have to bring both worlds at some point.
What are your biggest challenges?
We are a middle size brand; this is an advantage and a challenge at the same time. The advantage comes from the fact that the jewelry culture is increased and the customer wants more and more to have something more exclusive and different from what they see from the major brands. The challenge is to increase our awareness without loosing our soul; and let the customer understand our philosophy. In the matter the opening of the Dubai Mall boutique is the best example to realize this.
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