We’re excited to welcome Milton Stavrou to AUTOR 2025, taking place between May 10–11 at Unirea Shopping Center, in the heart of Bucharest. Winner of the AUTOR Award at Central Saint Martins (CSM), Milton joins us at AUTOR through our traditional partnership with the prestigious London institution — a collaboration dedicated to spotlighting fresh voices in contemporary jewellery.
A recent graduate of CSM’s BA Jewellery Design programme, Milton brings with him not just outstanding technical skill, but also a poetic and conceptual depth rarely seen in such early stages of a creative career. His graduate collection, titled “Cheap as Chips: Principles of a Fish Supper”, is both nostalgic and sharply contemporary. It’s a deeply personal project, inspired by the enduring presence of his family’s fish and chip shop — a local cornerstone for over 54 years — and a commentary on the shifting perceptions of value in an era of economic uncertainty.
In Milton’s words, the fish and chip shop is no longer the everyday indulgence it once was. As living costs rise, so too does the emotional and cultural weight of these small rituals. His collection reflects this tension through pieces that blend precious materials like gold, silver, Baltic amber, and jadeite with visual cues drawn directly from the “chippy” — open chip bags, receipt paper, ketchup stains, and deep fryer baskets, all reimagined through silversmithing and fine jewellery craftsmanship.
Whether it’s the “Cheapest Chip” ring — a chunk of amber pierced by a chip fork — or the “Take a 
Seat” brooch, which captures the colours and textures of laminated diner tables, each object Milton creates walks the line between wearable design and sculptural commentary. His use of anodized aluminium, Corian, and even camel bone speaks to an inventive material language that refuses to separate the mundane from the meaningful.
More than jewellery, these are intimate objects of memory, class, and place. Each piece invites us into the back kitchen of a family-run shop and into a layered conversation about identity, economy, and belonging.
This will be Milton Stavrou’s first time exhibiting in Romania, and we’re thrilled to offer this platform for his powerful debut beyond the UK. Come meet Milton in person at AUTOR 2025 and experience up close the tactile storytelling and imaginative world-building of one of the most exciting new names in contemporary jewellery.