Patrick Mavros made his first piece of jewellery to impress a girl. What came after that turned his brand into an African icon.
It’s not something you read or hear about every day. One of Africa’s most successful luxury brands began when a young man fell in love.
His name was Patrick Mavros, the woman of his dreams, Catja. The object’d’love was a pair of silver earrings he made for her when the pair courted almost fifty years ago.
“My father was not trying to start a business,” said Alexander Mavros, eldest son. “He was trying to impress my mother. But some things have a way of becoming bigger than expected.”
Today, Patrick Mavros and his four sons are still designing and manufacturing incredible jewellery and objects of art out of silver, from their studio outside Harare in Zimbabwe.
His name and eponymous brand are globally sought after by royals and safari-ists alike.
In South Africa, until now, you had to be in the know of the treasure this artist has been making for nearly half a century.
Africa is more than a theme for the company, it is the absolute source of everything.
From the layout of the studio to the elephant tusk curve in a bracelet or the meerkat tail winding up into a silver sculpture, there is nothing accidental about where inspiration comes from.
“You cannot live in Africa and not be influenced by it,” said Mavros. “There is a rhythm here, a raw beauty and also a sense of grounding. Whether it is the call of a fish eagle or the dust on your boots, it stays with you.”
‘He tried to impress my mother’
The family studio is also not just a factory. It’s a bit of a retreat, too.
The property shares a fence with wildlife reserves, features a garden where guests are welcome to sit and take in the moment, and houses the workshop where every piece is first imagined and then made.
There’s always a friendly smile and a willingness to share their passion for the land, the people of our continent and sharing anecdotes and tales.
Looping back to retail and South Africa.
Until recently, you had to fly to Zim or London to get your hands on a Patrick Mavros piece. But after decades, the family has now opened a Cape Town V&A Waterfront store.
There are now stores in Vic Falls, Kenya, and Mauritius, too.
“We have never tried to scale fast,” said Mavros. “We ask simple questions. Is this good for the brand? Is it good for the people who make the work? And is it good for the environment we live in?”
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“Luxury, to us, is emotional,” said Mavros. “It is not about price or size. It is about meaning. A small pair of earrings can hold far more value to someone than a massive sculpture, if it reminds them of a loved one or a moment.”
Luxury is emotional
It is in those moments that the team finds their reward. Mavros shared how material objects can sometimes elicit a rush of emotion.
“A woman came into our London flagship and bought a silver meerkat family. She told us it reminded her of her late husband, who loved the bush. She cried while telling us the story. That is when it hits you. This is not just silver.”
Those are the kinds of stories that he loves.
“We do not want our pieces to shout,” said Mavros. “We want them to speak quietly. To hold meaning. Something you can hand down with a story attached. When someone walks out with a piece from our boutique, I hope they feel like they are taking something more than an object,” Mavros said. “Something made slowly. Made with care. Made to last.”
And as dads do, founder Patrick Mavros has handed the reins to his foursome of sons.
And while Alexander Mavros said it could have been a recipe for chaos, the brothers have all settled into their respective roles. But it doesn’t meant that they don’t argue.
“There is definitely spirited debate,” he said, smiling. “But there is also respect. We each have our space and our strengths. And we laugh a lot. That helps.”
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