WRITTEN BY REMI JAMES
In the spirit of International Women’s Day just around the corner, I had the pleasure of speaking with a formidable woman who doesn’t simply break glass ceilings, she probably has a serum to keep them streak-free and glowing.
Eva Alexandridis, co-founder of the global phenomenon 111SKIN, is the kind of woman who instantly inspires you to head to the gym, run a half marathon and, afterwards, double-cleanse your face.
Eva was born in Bulgaria and grew up under a communist regime where every-thing was meant to be equal. There was very little room for entrepreneurialism. People were educated to fulfil a common role within the system, and creativity and innovation were rarely encouraged. I was fascinated. How did a young girl from the Eastern Bloc end up creating a global luxury empire? Well… it turns out, she had a fabulous and very adventurous Mother to thank.
Eva’s mother was an air hostess, a role that, in the 1980s, carried a certain James Bond level of glamour and, more impor-tantly, rare access to foreign currency, which was almost unheard of in Bulgaria at that time. From a young age, Eva was getting a masterclass in luxury via her mother’s suitcase. We’re talking beautiful perfumes, high-end makeup, and the holy grail: Chanel lipsticks.
When the Fall of the Berlin Wall took place in 1989, the expected route for a bright Bulgarian student was Moscow. But Eva’s mother had other ideas. She looked at the newly opened world and told her daughter: “Go.” Thankfully, Eva listened. She won a scholarship and headed to San Francisco, an opportunity she remains deeply grateful for.
Arriving in San Francisco during the Silicon Valley boom was a great time for Eva. “If there was a missing opportunity, people created it,” Eva recalls. That “problem-solving” DNA mindset left a lasting mark on her. It is difficult not to see that same entrepreneurial instinct as one of the secret ingredients behind 111SKIN becoming the global phenomenon it is today.
After graduating, Eva worked in marketing for several small start-ups during the height of the tech boom. When the tech bubble burst in the early 2000s, Eva lost her job. She pivoted, as resilient women do. She moved to Miami with a few friends and entered the world of luxury real estate.
Then as fate, or perhaps the universe’s sense of Rom-Com timing, would have it, Eva met a handsome Greek plastic surgeon who was in Miami on business. When she met Dr Yannis Alexandrides face to face it was love at first sight.
After a year of dating, Eva made another bold move. She left sunny Miami, along with her impressive Rolodex of high-profile clients, and relocated to London for love. Dr Yannis became her husband, the father of her two sons and her future co-founder with whom she would help change the face of skincare.
Before diving into the birth of 111SKIN, I was curious about something closer to home. How had Eva managed to build not only a global brand, but also a strong and lasting marriage while being a devoted mother? (I have to admit, I nearly fell off my chair when she told me her eldest son is 20 years old. Proof, if ever we needed it, that 111SKIN works… because Eva looks far too young to have a 20-year-old.)
Eva explained that one of the key ingredients in both their successful marriage and business is shared values. She and Dr Yannis trust one another completely and share the same vision, for the company and for their family. Their roles are clearly defined. Dr Yannis, an Dr Yannis, an award-winning surgical innovator, is the developer and scientific mind. Eva, the award-winning business-woman, is the engine, overseeing logistics, marketing and vision. He is in the theatre; she is in the boardroom. It is the perfect dance that works because there is no deviation from their shared goal.
So how was “baby number three” -aka 111SKIN- conceived? Dr Yannis noticed that his patients were not adhering to their post-surgery aftercare products. During a conversation with Eva, her pragmatic yet creative, outside-the-box thinking mind sparked an idea: why not create our own scientifically advanced, results-driven skincare, wrapped in true luxury? After years of fine-tuning, the products became a reality in 2012 and 111SKIN was born!
While Eva never doubted the clinic-side success, the true “pinch-me” moment came when Harrods came knocking in search of scientific skincare. “I started to think, ‘Who are we?’” she admits. Taking a brand from a private clinic to the world stage requires more than a good product. It takes instinct. courage, and vision.
What I admired most was the way Eva credits her team as a fundamental part of the brand’s success. From the packaging designers and chemical engineers to the PR, sales and events team, she speaks of them with genuine pride. To me, that is the mark of a true leader, someone open and confident enough to allow her team to act as an extension of the founders, carrying the story of 111SKIN forward.
Eva will always keep dreaming of future goals and collaborations… “perhaps with a fashion brand or maybe a luxury travel luggage brand like Rimowa” (So, if anyone from Rimowa happens to be reading this, consider this your sign to call 111SKIN.) whatever comes next, I have no doubt it will be exciting.
I had one final question for Eva: what advice would she give to female entrepreneurs?
Her answer was simple. Do something unique. Do not let anyone stop you. Your clients will find you. And above all… do not give up!
Photo credits: 111SKIN PR TEAM
Website: www.111skin.com
Instagram: @111SKIN
