Christopher Radko Biography |
The Christopher Radko® Brand:
It has been said that a Christopher Radko® ornament inspires joy and awakens the spiritual significance of the holiday season. The Christopher Radko® name has become the symbol for the finest quality of European-made glass ornaments in the marketplace today.
As this iconic brand looks towards the future, it cannot help but tip a respectful nod to the past and acknowledge its creator, Christopher Radko himself, who had a vision that each ornament created would come to symbolize the very heart of Christmas. With a sense of pride for the past and a dedicated determination for the future the Christopher Radko brand strives to create lasting keepsakes that represent life’s most memorable milestones and cherished holiday traditions for families to share, celebrate and collect. How It Began:
CRASH! And so it began.
In 1983, Christopher Radko decided that his family’s old, rusted tree stand had served long enough and replaced it with a gleaming stainless steel, contemporary model. The family put their 14-foot tree in the new stand and as was common to their tradition, the collection of 2,000 hand-made, mouth-blown glass ornaments was carefully unwrapped and placed on the tree – a process that usually took several days.
Then, one week before Christmas, the tranquility of the household and the bubbling holiday spirit were shattered by a loud crash. The tree fell over.
Christopher Radko thought he would never be forgiven and made it his personal mission to restore the heirloom collection. The next summer, while visiting distant cousins in Poland, he began to look for glass ornaments but found nothing. He decided instead to find a glass blower who could make the ornaments, but that was difficult as well.
After finally locating and working with a craftsman, Christopher Radko sketched some old traditional ornament shapes and had several dozen ornaments produced to take home to his family. The ornaments never made it to the tree. Instead, his friends purchased all of them. On the next trip abroad, he brought back more ornaments and those sold out as well.
From the lone glassblower who made his first ornaments, thousands of people now work in Poland, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic and Romania producing Christopher Radko® ornaments. The Christopher Radko Brand Today:
Gone are the days of door-to-door sales of the Christopher Radko line, the company now distributes its products to more than 2,500 retail accounts, including the venerable retail giants, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.In 2005, Christopher Radko stepped away from the company that he originated in the mid-1980s. Yet, the brand that still bears his name today continues the enduring legacy that Christopher created. The same talented artisans and sculptors that worked with Christopher in the early years continue to carry on the tradition of fine craftsmanship and enduring quality that Christopher pioneered more than two decades before. As the unparalleled producer of the finest European-made glass ornaments, the Radko artisans work tirelessly to ensure that each ornament created is worthy of the "Radko" name and the long heritage and renowned reputation that the brand embodies.
The artistry of The Christopher Radko Collection has been featured in the White House, the Vice President’s residence, the Governor’s residence in Connecticut, Woodlawn Plantation and Gracie Mansion, official residence of the mayor of New York. Well-known collectors include Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert DeNiro, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver.
Exquisite workmanship and handcrafted details are the hallmark of all Christopher Radko creations. Using time honored techniques dating back more than two centuries, Christopher Radko ornaments rekindle the holiday traditions of yesteryear while keeping the magic of Christmas alive for generations to come.Bring warmth, color and sparkle into your home as you celebrate life’s heartfelt connections.
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