Nicknamed Chantecler after the bubbly rooster featured in Rostand’s fable of the same name, Pietro Capuano came from a family of Neapolitan jewellers. Worldly, bon vivant, tireless and imaginative entertainer at parties and events that became legendary, he founded the Chantecler brand in 1947. In 1950, he partnered with the young Salvatore Aprea, who had just graduated in law and came from a family of Capri jewellers. With complementary personalities and dispositions, they created exuberant, unconventional jewellery, perfect for Capri, a symbol of luxury and glamour, a favourite destination for a diverse elite of aristocrats, film stars, artists and intellectuals. The Chantecler family album contains photos and autographs that few brands in the world can boast: from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Linda Darnell, and even Lex Barker, the iconic cinematographic Tarzan… The company is now run by Salvatore Aprea’s children, Maria Elena, who heads the creative area, Costanza, who mainly deals with training and marketing, and Gabriele, Chantecler CEO, with his wife Maria Teresa. In fact, Costanza explains, every decision is discussed and shared and everyone contributes to the end result with their own wealth of sensitivity and skills.
Chantecler is synonymous with lightness and Dolce Vita. What remains of the charm and magic of those golden decades in the third millennium?
«Chantecler encapsulates the spirit of Capri in a piece of jewellery. In the 1960s, the island, to use my father’s words, was all about parties and elegance: every night there was an event that deserved a new dress and new jewellery. Chantecler was founded as the jeweller for the rich and famous happy few who had nothing to show off. Because they already had everything, they were looking for something different and extraordinary that would bring out their personality in total freedom of style and materials. Chantecler has always focused on what made Capri unique: bold colours, special gemstones, generous shapes».
But times have changed. Dolce Vita is light years away from our world.
«Today as then, Chantecler represents the true spirit and the true essence of Capri, which have essentially remained unchanged. With its unparalleled beauty, Capri is a world unto itself, a wealthy one, but never vulgar; it knows how to welcome and make anyone feel at ease. Firmly rooted in tradition, we have been able to innovate, incorporating cutting[1]edge technologies and difficult materials such as ceramic enamel – featured in one of our latest collections – into that world and into the values of tradition. What I mean is that shapes, gemstones and processing techniques can change, but Chantecler’s language and style are always the same, recognisable and inimitable».
What makes your jewellery unique?
«I call it high ready-to-wear jewellery. Easy to wear every day, they are true works of high jewellery, the result of outstanding craftsmanship, entirely handmade by our Valenza artisans, impossible to make otherwise. Apparent simplicity hides meticulous work; even the simpler objects are designed with great care and attention to detail, even the parts that the eye can’t see. Then the saturated colours of coral, turquoise, onyx, kogolong and precious gemstones evoke a chromatic map and the atmosphere of the island: the blinding white of lime-plastered houses, the blue of the sea and the sky, the local vegetation with its trees and colourful flowers».
What is the target of Chantecler jewellery?
«Our jewellery is perfect for both mature women and younger girls: even the most important pieces have a fresh, whimsical twist, which makes them stylish and wearable in any situation and with any look. They are certainly designed for women who are not satisfied with a classic small diamond pendant»
How did it go over these past two years of pandemic? Have you managed to maintain strong relationships with your dealers?
«We used the Covid pandemic to get closer to our dealers – almost 150 stores in Italy; we called and listened to them one by one and used the lockdown period for remote training and to support and strengthen each other. The result is that our 2021 turnover exceeded our 2019 sales by ten percentage points! Apart from Covid, training and coaching for our partners have always been a key focus for Chantecler. We support retailers in every possible way, from the organisation of events to visual merchandising and advertising. We also hold training sessions at our Milan offices, with 4 or 5 companies at a time. It is always our Chantecler style: highly professional, but in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere… And if our dealers cannot be physically there, our agents provide on-site training; we have a network of extraordinary collaborators who are motivated, passionate and loyal to our brand».
How do you reconcile this “Capri” imprint made up of relationships with online sales and digital innovation?
«We started online sales but we are very cautious about it. We will see how that goes in the future. In the meantime, we have launched an all-out efficiency process, from a new, complex IT system to monitor every aspect of our business, to a new CRM with a dedicated manager; we have also worked hard on products and their positioning to offer beautiful but not impossible jewellery, offering the best quality and price. It is a huge job that is rewarding us».
This year marks 75 years of business. How will you celebrate this anniversary?
We will present a celebratory collection in March, evoking among other things the historic bronze bell given by Pietro Capuano to the American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a lucky charm at the end of the war 1944. This idea inspired a complete collection, from the simplest pieces to the more complex ones, in gold only or with gemstones. A second, very colourful collection will feature floral style. We have also scheduled two institutional events, one in Milan and one in Capri, and events at our dealers for a year full of celebrations and beauty!
