
Anything in your life, is possible.
Xander uses semi-precious stones and elements of wood & rattan in his work. He finishes his jewellery with either 925 Sterling Silver or 14k gold plated components. All the jewellery he produces is nickel-free. (He is also allergic!)
The brand, after his own name, Xander Kostroma®, launched in the Fall of 2018, is now stocked in 400+ independent boutiques worldwide. His collection is also exclusively available online from British retailers Freemans.com & Lookagain.co.uk.
Xander firmly believes that: Anything in your life, is possible! ...no matter what your background, you just need to focus on what you want, believe you already have it, work towards it and you will achieve it.
Sounds interesting?!
Follow his work @XanderKostromaLifestyle on Instagram.
MEET THE CENTRAL TEAM
HOW WE OPERATE
Xander is based in Lisbon, Portugal and from his home studio, all jewellery samples are initially created. Once a design is finalized, the sample for production is recorded digitally and emailed to Lydia (Head of Jewellery Production). Lydia is based in Handan City, China and it’s from her studio, with the help of her two, (soon to be three!) assistants; Lily & Pinna that our jewellery production is carried out. The women, led by Lydia’s expertise, hand-make all pieces of jewellery including suncatchers for the brand.
Once production is finished, the goods are shipped to Swansea, Wales where Tory, the manager, along with her assistant, Igor receives the goods in the warehouse. It’s from this location that all orders are picked, lovingly packed and shipped out globally. Xander and Tory are friends since meeting at a day festival in Swansea, circa 2009 meanwhile Xander met Lydia while he was working in retail buying & merchandising.
Finally, Amy, the in-house model shoots from around her home and garden in Northamptonshire, England while Ria, the second photographer, captures the lifestyle images from her studio in Norfolk, England. Xander met both women on Instagram.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Xander was born on the 7th of April 1987 into a single parent, working-class family in Swansea, Wales. After a strained relationship with his mother, he eventually found himself homeless at age 16. Xander “sofa surfed” for some months before finding a job working nights as a pot washer at a local restaurant. He moved into a small bedsit along the seafront in Swansea, all the while continuing his studies at secondary school. A year later, aged 17, he successfully secured a weekend job in the coffee shop at M&S bringing some stability into his life.
Management soon recognised his potential and promoted him to store Visual Merchandiser. It was here at M&S, that his interest in jewellery began. Aged 20, he left to create his first company selling ex High Street clothing on eBay which he ran for 2 years,

His interests continued...
Aged 22, Xander decided to return to work in retail. He successfully applied for a role as a shop manager for Cancer Research UK. It was in this position that he gained a deeper understanding of management, overseeing a team of over 30 volunteers from different backgrounds with different needs.
Xander worked for the charity for almost 2 years until 2010 when he moved to Manchester to work in buying & merchandising for JD Sports.
In early 2012, Xander was approached by the recruitment team at VF International based in Switzerland. He passed the interview and emigrated to the Italian speaking canton called Ticino to work at the European Headquarters for the luxury denimwear brand 7 For All Mankind. Xander was immersed in the Italian culture, he learnt to speak Italian and spent most of his free time travelling around Northern Italy. Although Xander enjoyed his role at VF, he felt like he could no longer grow, so in late 2013 he handed his notice to work freelance.
Xander Kostroma Fashion Ltd
In early 2015, Xander founded his company Xander Kostroma Fashion Ltd, he continued to work under license for the next few years until early 2018 when he gave his notice to concentrate on his own name collection; Xander Kostroma®. In the fall of the same year, Xander launched a capsule collection consisting of earrings only, he also recruited his own international team which he set up between Switzerland, China & the UK. Over the course of the next few years, the collection expanded into necklaces, bracelets, pashminas and homeware...
During the 2020 global pandemic, Xander left Switzerland for Portugal where he resides in Lisbon for the foreseeable future.