When it comes to completing an outfit, every fashion lover knows that it's the accessories that make it or break it, particularly the jewellery.
No one knows this more than the co-founder and Creative Director of cult-favourite jewellery brand YSSO, Alexia Karides.
Born out of a love for creating beautiful pieces designed to last a lifetime, Alexia, an ex-corporate lawyer, decided to join forces with her ultra-stylish, archaeologist and art historian mother Stalo Karides to bring their shared love for modern jewellery with ancient beginnings to life.
Launching in 2020, YSSO quickly skyrocketed into popularity within the jewellery and fashion sphere, worn by famed faces, the fashion elite and everyday style muses on repeat.
As expected, the face behind the brand, Alexia, is chicer than ever, telling H! Fashion in an exclusive interview for our Fashion Insider series that "effortless yet polished" is her outfit kryptonite of choice, while Elizabeth Taylor and Melina Mercouri continue to be her style inspiration of choice.
The Fashion Insider Diary: Alexia Karides
Date Night
I love going to Notting Hill for a cosy date night in a small restaurant. That night we went to Ladbroke Hall for an early drink after work and a Jazz night – I wore the open-sided Cahaya Studios shit with my super warm Max Mara Coat and the Hedi Earrings with the Papyros Ring.
A Day of Meetings
I was at Klear Lab on Goldborne Road for a meeting over coffee, I love these Uniqlo trousers as they are super warm, and I wore the Aethon Necklace with the Tetras Earrings as they are small but visible enough.
Drinks with the Girls
I love the masculine look of this outfit, which I feel is great for a drink, and I paired it with the Pearl Earrings which are a large shell-like design together with the Bold Studded Bangles and the Ariadne Bracelet stacked which I think draw a lot of attention to the shape of the sleeves.
A Chic Sunday Stroll
My go-to bag is this brown Dragon Diffusion together with a dark brown coat and statement bangles – that day I took a stroll to Chiltern Street and stopped for magazines and coffee at my favourite Shreeji newsagents.
An Evening Soirée
The Birth of Venus necklace is one that really dresses up an outfit I feel – I was going to an art event a few weeks ago and I paired it with the Labyrinth Bangle and the Mother of the Gods earrings to add volume and replicate the sharp edges of the boots I was wearing.
The Fashion Insider Low-Down:
Can you describe your personal style in a few words? How does it reflect your role in the fashion industry?
Something relaxed with a pop of colour or something else unexpected, playing with texture or form. Overall though I tend to keep things more low-key, I love jeans and an oversized shirt, with a mix of jewellery to enhance an outfit that I have probably re-wore multiple times before. I find that jewellery can really bring an outfit together and can create a wholly new concept without having to necessarily have to constantly purchase new clothes.
I’m very much not someone who is traditionally from the fashion industry, I was a lawyer before starting YSSO. I actually got the idea of the brand after my mother who was designing jewellery and was making pieces for me to wear to work. I used to work in the City in my corporate job, quite long hours and I would bring a different pair of jewellery with me to work when I was going out after work for dinner I would simply only change the jewellery – as my way of dressing up.
Consequently, to answer the second question, I really feel that my role is more from an outsider’s perspective – a consumer myself more than anything else. YSSO was created with the wearer in mind, I wanted to create jewellery that is high quality but at the same time are not extremely expensive but also not mass-produced.
I really saw the opening in the market for high-quality jewellery that falls in the middle category between fashion and fine jewellery – and that would transcend generations and styles. I think the YSSO woman, is one of many interests, and one that is guided by intuition, so I see my role, and YSSO’s role, as that bridge between the real consumer and the fashion industry.
What's your go-to outfit for a busy day of fashion events and meetings? How do you balance comfort and style?
I always go for something effortless yet polished. A well-tailored blazer over a fluid dress or jeans with a crisp shirt is my go-to. I love pieces that allow movement but still feel structured—it’s all about that balance. Comfort is key, from my clothes to my jewellery. That is why we always design with a focus on function as well as form.
All our cuffs are adjustable so you can style them over or under a shirt, all our earrings are lightweight which allow for daily comfort and most our rings are also adjustable. The latter was always very important to me, as the adjustability of rings means that you can wear them at different fingers depending on the mood/style you want to go for, but also you can wear them between seasons - when the fingers fluctuate in size due to the weather.
What are your go-to brands?
I’m actually not a huge shopper, but I love certain brands due to their aesthetic, sensibility and inspirations that bring. Brands I have recently gravitated towards are Le Monde Beryl, Loulou de Saison, a NY brand called Attersee and a resort-wear brand called Matteau.
Do you have any fashion icons or inspirations that influence your style choices? How do they inspire you?
I’ve always been drawn to women who embody effortless elegance—those who wear pieces with confidence rather than letting the clothes wear them. Two of my style icons are Elizabeth Taylor and Melina Mercouri. My maternal grandparents owned an open-air cinema in the 70s, which was my grandmother’s main passion project. Growing up I was very close to my grandmother and her passion for cinema naturally transcended to me.
Elizabeth Taylor, who was actually my grandmother’s favourite actress, is a legendary style icon. To this day, I’m deeply drawn to her bold elegance—her love for statement jewellery, rich textures, and unapologetic glamour is simply fascinating. She had a way of wearing jewellery as if it were an extension of her, which is something I always think about when designing.
Melina Mercouri, on the other hand, embodied effortless confidence. Her mix of classic tailoring with a relaxed, almost rebellious spirit is something I admire. She had a way of making even the simplest looks feel powerful. Both women inspire me to embrace timelessness in fashion. Additionally, both had personalities which transcended history, and their entire presence and demeanour exuded confidence above all else.
Beyond individuals, I find a lot of inspiration in fine art – I love visiting galleries and seeing the variety of colour and texture combinations you can find, in say, a beautiful oil painting. This can eventually translate into an outfit in an abstract way – that happens intuitively and subconsciously rather than in a strict stylistic way.
Weekdays can be hectic. What's your weekday workwear wardrobe like, and how does it differ from your weekend attire?
I tend to wear something that allows for effortlessness. I’m always on the go, so something that allows me to move seamlessly between meetings, but also something that I can wear day-to-night, without having to change for work events, as I often don’t have time! I like to keep things smart and comfortable. I will simply change jewellery and I will move between workwear to evening wear.
Accessories can make or break an outfit. What are your must-have accessories, and how do you use them to elevate your look?
Anything YSSO.. and a cool pair of shoes! Generally, I think accessories are the key to making an outfit.
Our jewellery is created by hand and designed totally by hand – which results in the end to create an aura of authenticity which is totally genuine. Our pieces, I hope, stand out and will illuminate your face with our signature gold hue, which was developed with over 6 years of research and development to give off a buttery gold effect that will catch the light. We also aim to create a variety of designs and a depth of concepts that will allow people from totally different styles, perspectives and walks of life to resonate with YSSO, and hopefully find a design that speaks to them in a personal level.
In the fashion world, trends are constantly evolving. How do you stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends, and do you incorporate them into your wardrobe?
I don’t necessarily buy into trends. I tend to look for classic pieces, rather than following the current trends.
I think the worst thing is to buy something totally trendy and then next season it’s seen as dated. Whereas if you buy into heritage and timeless pieces, you can wear them as time passes and they are always on point. For example some of our best-selling pieces, like the Cote Earrings, Artemis Bangle and the Flower Bud Earrings – we designed them and I was wearing them to work way before YSSO launched, as far back as 2018 and they are our best sellers now in 2025!
