2026 Winners - Kodes
Behind every successful product is a story of passion, perseverance, and purpose. For Kodes founder Morena, winning a Gift of the Year Award marks the culmination of years of hard work, creativity, and determination. From launching a jewellery brand inspired by her own journey with Alopecia Universalis to creating products that help people express themselves with confidence, her story is one of resilience and innovation.
We caught up with Morena to discuss what the Gift of the Year win means to her, the inspiration behind her award-winning Aromatherapy Bracelets, and what's next for the growing Kodes brand.
How does it feel to be a Gift of the Year winner?
Ecstatic! Winning Gift of the Year is the biggest Achievement for Kodes since I started the brand 11 years ago! Gift of the Year is such a prestigious retail award that I never thought I would ever be able to win! As a solopreneur, I have been working with my head down, year in, year out, applying for the award, improving my packaging and collating all the evidence for the
Tell us the story behind your winning product?
The Aromatherapy bracelets were born from a collaboration with Shehnaaz Latif, an essential oil expert who has believed in Kodes since day one. We decided to team up and started offering the bracelet combined with a sample bottle of essential oil; we ran workshops together, even, where she would tell people about essential oils and their benefits and the participants would then make their own custom bracelet - a workshop I’m running again
How did your business begin?
Kodes was born from my need to express myself at a time when I felt I had lost one of the most visible ways to do that. I have had Alopecia Universalis since I was 12, which means I lost all my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, so jewellery slowly became my way of expressing personality, creativity and confidence.
It was also my rebellion against the idea that fashion should make everyone look the same. Growing up in Southern Italy, I often felt surrounded by a very narrow idea of what style, beauty and status should look like. When I moved to London, I found the freedom I had been looking for, and in 2015 I started Kodes to create bold, handmade pieces for people who want to express who they are, not blend into what they are expected to be.
What has been your biggest milestone so far?
Definitely Gift of the Year! An award I’ve been dreaming about for the last 3 years and for what I’ve worked very hard on: improving my packaging, my messaging and my photography.
What’s next for your brand?
I’m expanding into aromatherapy bracelets and glasses chains that could also suit and attract a more masculine audience. We have just had the most gorgeous photoshoot, and I can’t wait to be promoting the new range!
You can find out more about Kodes here - https://kodes.me.uk/
