The Pirate + The Gypsy is not just a business, it is two sides of a coin which represent a whole. The Gypsy is a reflection of Paula’s free spiritedness and beliefs, as well as who she is as a Greek, Polish and Romani woman. Paula was always taught to be proud of her heritage and family history. Her mom is Athenian Roma and her dad Polish Roma. She personally believes that like a coin, the word Gypsy has two sides.

When the Roma people left India in the 11th century, the Europeans mistook them as Egyptian. Gypsy became a word used to describe the Roma people through centuries of oppression. To her, the word Gypsy reflects pain, a difficult journey and the resilience of the Roma people and my own family.

As a Romani woman, Paula has not forgotten where the word Gypsy came from and she will not ignore the oppression and racism her ancestors faced. But she has chosen to flip that coin. Paula wants to embrace the new meaning of this word. How wonderful it is when we can change how future generations will come to understand a word. The word Gypsy once meant something hurtful and now it is a word that represents freedom and inspiration. Paula will continue to share the story of the Romani people, but she will also inspire others to follow their dreams and live their adventure.

The pirate side of the name is a belief. It reflects a way of living based on freedom of spirit and freedom to choose your own path. A Belief that life should be lived without regret and to the fullest.  As such, Paula has chosen to follow her passion and focus on doing the things she loves and she now walks the path of her creative journey.

Every day Paula is living new adventures and and the story of her adventures goes into every piece of jewellery she designs. She loves what she does and she loves being a small part of your journey. Whether it is through a custom-designed piece or remaking an existing bracelet or necklace– she wants to leave a positive impression on your life. Paula wants her customers to feel the passion for what they do and come back again and again.

The Pirate + The Gypsy is not just a style, it is who she is.  Her free-spiritedness, her love of beauty, nature, horses and life drives the direction of her designs and her business.