Nowadays there’s a need for two wages coming in, but this fact that women work is affecting the sense of family. There is a reason the saying ‘A woman is the heart of the home’ exists, but nowadays, career has become more important, and this is why we are losing the values of the past.
Cosmos was not inspired by an individual idea, but from the strength of a bond, from the ability that we could all believe in it together. We built something great out of love.
Clearly, those who think this have not been lucky enough to run into women like Serena and Delia, who believe so strongly in the sense of family that it was precisely from there that they drew the energy and dedication that led to the birth of Cosmos. This is a story of family, tradition and entrepreneurial success that shows, without a doubt, that a woman can remain the heart of the home while at the same time achieving a thousand goals in life too. Because, when love is the motivator, nothing important is ever left by the wayside.
Cosmos: what is it all about?
Cosmos is a project that recovers and reinterprets the value of craftsmanship of one of the most iconic objects of Neapolitan tradition: the lucky horn. With its historic headquarters located in San Gregorio Armeno – famous all over the world for the long tradition linked to crib art – it continues the idea of the family business, combining great respect for tradition and a fresh and contemporary approach to design and the market.
Their handmade horns and the great passion with which they propose them help keep Neapolitan folk art alive and current. This is combined with a vision of work seen as a tool for personal fulfilment, which values a perspective on the world based on the desire for good.
We have had the inestimable fortune of seeing true love in the relationship between our father and our mother. That is the engine that inspired all the rest: love in the family and love for what you do for the family.
Let’s start with the common stereotype, never truly silenced, that a woman dedicated to her career puts her family second. Yours is a success story with an identity deeply rooted in the essential role of family love. Can we dispel this stigma once and for all?
Our history is what speaks for us, because in our case it is precisely the sense of family that has made everything possible. Cosmos was not inspired by an individual idea, but from the strength of a bond, from the ability that we could all believe in it together. We have built something great out of love and from the will to stand united as a team. A will so viscerally rooted in us, that every gesture, every decision, every sacrifice, every goal springs directly from there. Our work has never been in conflict with the family, because the family itself is the beating heart of everything. We have had the inestimable fortune of seeing true love in the relationship between our father and our mother. That is the engine that inspired all the rest: love in the family and love for what you do, for which you love, even in times of difficulty, because – precisely – you do it for the family. We are entrepreneurs, we are proud of the results we have achieved, but even more than that, we are proud to not only sell objects: we keep a tradition alive, we carry on a legacy, we offer the public the result of a way of seeing the world and life. And we do it together, with a bond that goes far beyond work and success per se.
We are proud of the results achieved… we keep a tradition alive, we carry on a legacy, we offer the public the result of a way of seeing the world and life.
Yours is a dynamic project, full of vitality. In your vision, the horn – far from the superficial interpretation that reduces it to a mere object of superstition – becomes a symbol of a genuine act of care and attention. A tangible way to tell a person “I wish you the best, I’m on your side”…
The lucky horn, for us, is much more than just an object. It is a symbol of protection, of affection; giving a horn means “I hope everything goes well, I love you, I wish you the best”. There is a whole tradition behind our work, made up of the right materials and craftsmanship and there is a special way to gift the horn: a precise gesture in which the palm of the left hand – the hand of the heart – is pricked to create a bond between the amulet and the person receiving it.
This gesture represents attention, care, and the genuine desire to protect and nurture. We create these objects with our hands and heart, which is why those who come to our store not only buy a horn, but a message, an energy, a piece of living tradition.
There is a whole tradition behind our work and there is a special way to gift the lucky horn. a precise gesture that represents attention, care, the genuine desire to protect and nurture.
Yet, you have confided in us that your story is rooted in a difficult time for your family. Where does this full passion for life come from? How do you turn difficulty into opportunity?
We’ve suffered enough to know that it takes something really very, very serious to make a day, a bad day. For the rest we must remember to be grateful for life. It is true, our story is not one that begins as a fairy tale, and this means that we value it even more. The first versions of these horns were made on the table of our house, crafted from a ball of clay and inspired by our father’s idea to do something to overcome a moment of economic and psychological crisis.
It was a difficult time, but he set out, with his mother by his side, to restore the Neapolitan horn the dignity it deserved, an alternative to the plastic knick-knack version to which it had been reduced. That night – it’s Serena talking – I was supposed to be going to the cinema with my friends, but I saw that clay on the table shine like a point of light in the dark. I didn’t go out, I stood next to him and we began creating the first models.
It is true, our story does not begin as a fairy tale… The first versions of these horns were made on the table of our house, crafted from a ball of clay and inspired by our father’s idea to do something to overcome a moment of crisis.
Over time, Mum and Dad put together a real collection of lucky horns, although initially it was all very amateurish. I was studying at university, but as soon as I could I gave them a hand and my parents were incredibly open to leaving me space, giving me responsibility. Things started to grow and change. We began believing more and more in what we were building. So much so that, when Delia graduated, she decided that she also wanted her future to unfold in the Cosmos adventure. Then, when we were on cloud nine with happiness, we got the terrible news of our father’s illness: cancer. I’m sure I don’t need to describe how devastated our mother was, not to mention how bad we and our younger siblings felt. It was at that moment that we strengthened our bond as never before. Pain became our driving force. And we were successful because we suffered so much, but we tackled hardship together. Today, that suffering has become our strength. Even though Dad passed away, we know that he is looking at us now, and that he is proud of us, of the fact that we didn’t give up and that we have continued to love life. And the place where we sense his presence closest is our store, because nothing feels like home more than that place.
We’ve suffered enough to know that it takes something really, really bad to make a day a bad day. For the rest, we must remember to be grateful for life.
How important was the bond between you two in turning a crisis into an opportunity? Your #sisterhood is a mix of family love and professional collaboration. Are there times of difficulty when you work together?
Our bond is everything. The two of us are completely different, physically and in terms of character, but our souls marry so well that we can’t imagine living and working without each other. We have experienced difficult times, but even in pain we have found a balance: on the worst days, one of us allowed herself to feel bad while the other had to be strong for both of us. We have always supported each other, as if we have an intrinsic pact, with no need for many words.
When we work, we are not just colleagues, we are sisters, friends, life partners. And, even when the work is demanding, we never feel it as a burden, because it is something that makes us happy, that gives us a sense of belonging, of mission.
When everyday problems arise, we look at each other and smile: we think about what we have experienced, how we have transformed it. If we stand together, nothing is a problem, we only have solutions.
We have experienced difficult times, but even in pain we have found a balance. When problems arise, we look at each other and smile: if we stand together, we only have solutions.
What is the spark of change that you commit to spreading with @Cosmos every day?
We want a world of joy, kindness and passion. What we do, in our small way, is create spaces where people treat each other with more love, with more attention. Every day, in our shop, in our workshop, we are committed to doing so: responding to a customer’s embrace, giving a word of comfort, giving new dignity to craftsmanship. Maybe gifting a lucky horn, because even those who do not believe in it as a lucky charm, beyond the object, can still experience first-hand the beauty of a sincere gesture. Today we have the privilege of doing a job that makes us happy, but we know very well what it means to walk in hell. That’s why every day we want to share a message of positivity. Because love is a universal language and our work is not just craftsmanship, it is a way to spread this love in the world.
We want a world driven by joy, kindness and passion. Because love is a universal language and our work is not just craftsmanship, it is a way to spread this love in the world.
