What are your day-to-day activities?
In the ideal situation, I’m working on new business opportunities. When I start on a Monday, I want to know from the sales agents what appointments there are and what sales are expected. Suppose I am in Austria, for example, appointments need to be made with boutiques. Then I send e-mails and make phone calls of “Hey, I’ll be on the road then and near there”. I am also working on a new men’s collection now. With the suspenders, I did the whole development of the product, all the way from scratch. Then I make sure that silk is imported, the colours are determined, the quality is up to standard, and from the braces and suspenders we have expanded the collection with silk ties. I’m quite busy with that, looking for the designs and doing the sampling. That is the commercial battle and also ensures that there are new products to be sold which increases orders. There is more in the pipeline but that is a secret for now.
What is the most enjoyable part of your work?
Meeting people, that’s what I like most, getting people excited about our brand. What I also really like is creating: we make something out of nothing. We developed every piece of jewellery ourselves, we don’t buy anything ready-made: everything is a composite product. We invent and develop the products, even the packaging. Then we market it and make sure it is in shops - that process is seriously over-brilliant.
What is your go-to work outfit?
Neat trousers, shirt and a jacket. On office days, it’s sometimes jeans with a polo shirt. I like to be neatly dressed every day. Given my position and daily activities, I have to.
Gold or silver?
At the moment, I really like gold, not for myself but for women mainly. Last year I wore a gold necklace once, I really liked it, but Marloes - my fiancée and mother of my daughters - didn’t like it. Gold I think is just very cool and very hip, it is colour of the moment - a very rich color.
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Showering.
Without what can’t you start your day?
A cold Shower.
Who or what inspires you?
Yes, at the moment I would say I do get my inspiration from travelling and being on the road to clients. On the road, and not at your desk, that’s where it happens. And that is actually the most fun there is, doing things, because sitting alone in the office does not personally make me very happy.
App or Call?
Calling, because I actually think using an app is a bad development: you can never make clear what you really mean and a message often comes across the wrong way. We always say: if you call, you’re faster. You immediately have someone on the line, hear the tone of voice and know where you stand in the competition. You achieve more with calling and it’s much faster.
What is your favourite dish?
I don’t really have a favourite dish, but I really like Italian cuisine. I really like pasta regardless.
What would you serve at your wedding?
A big Italian dinner it would be then.
What did you want to be when you were little?
Fireman, but I was really small then.
What do you think is the most iconic wedding?
The wedding that has stayed with me the most is my little brother’s, at the Empire of the Emperor in Amsterdam. That was really one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever been to, mainly because it involved family, it was a top location, and everything was worked out to perfection. Dinner was served for all the friends and family, maybe a hundred to a hundred and fifty people. I was the master of ceremonies, so I narrated the day, which was super fun and I was super proud. It was a really beautiful day with family and friends - for me, the most iconic wedding.
Favourite restaurant?
I haven’t, but the restaurant that really impressed me the most was De Librije, it was really good. But I also simply love a good eatery where you can eat a steak with fries. And there’s nothing like a really good German schnitzel in Germany.
What is the best advice you have received or can give?
That would be: seize the day, enjoy it. Very cliché, but when people say to me: enjoy your children because they grow up so fast, I notice more and more that this is true. That is why I try to enjoy them extra now, how they are now. You have to enjoy the beautiful moments. Work hard, play hard. But the advice I would give someone else is: take good care of yourself. That is all encompassing, because at the end of the day, only you can take good care of you.
What is your favourite item from Abrazi?
From the men’s collection surely the wooden cufflinks, because it is a natural product, but also a very commercial item. What I think is a very bold product within the women’s collection are the Jane earrings in gold. I designed them myself, and the fact that they are so successful makes it extra special. They are awesome statement pieces, because when a woman wears them I immediately think: gosh, these are really nice earrings. They have become my most favorite item.
Last encore?
Be good to each other.
