There are women whose elegance is not worn — it’s thought. Cristina Diaconescu is one of them. A graduate of the Bucharest Academy of Fine Arts and today Communication Director for a hospitality and lifestyle group, she has built a career where intellect meets intuition, and meaning always precedes form.
With over two decades of experience in advertising and branding, Cristina is also the founder of her own creative consultancy, where she crafts identities for premium brands rooted in authenticity and cultural depth. Her approach — which she calls art-driven strategy — transforms storytelling into a refined act of truth and emotion.
In this Coffee Break, she talks about creative rituals, her morning coffee moments with her son, and her connection with us. Wearing the Praha silk scarf, Cristina shares her philosophy of elegance, purpose, and the beauty of remaining intellectually anchored in a world of appearances.
ALISIA ENCO: You’re wearing the Praha silk scarf from us, how does it fit your personal style?
My personal style is more about the insight than the outsight — it begins with meaning rather than surface. I’ve always believed that true elegance comes from understanding, not imitation. The things I choose to wear — just like the brands I choose to build — must carry intention, emotion, and story.
The Praha silk scarf encapsulates more than an aesthetic choice; it carries my quiet admiration for you since 2015, back when I first followed your work with “Women in Business” organization. You have been the pioneer of professional women networking in Romania. Now I see it more like a symbolic reunion between two creative journeys that have evolved in parallel — yours through ALISIA ENCO’S stylistic explorations across countries and epochs, and mine through an almost archaeological search for essence in every brand communication project.
I love the feeling of discovery — peeling back layers until I reach the core truth of a person, a product, or a story. Perhaps that’s why I’m always drawn to natural textures, hand-painted details, and chromatic calm: neutral darks in autumn and winter, luminous whites and beiges when the sun returns. For me, wearing something like this scarf is like carrying a narrative — mine and another’s — intertwined. And I love the versatility of ALISIA ENCO’S scarves – I wear “Praha” model as a scarf, but also as a blouse, bandana or belt.
ALISIA ENCO: Why ALISIA ENCO? What about the brand resonates most with your personality or values?
What I admire most about ALISIA ENCO is its quiet strength — a brand built on intellect and intuition in equal measures. It doesn’t chase trends; it explores territories. Every collection feels like an essay in fabric, each piece a chapter that reflects the brand’s capacity to travel — geographically and spiritually — while staying true to its core.
That mirrors how I work. I approach every branding project as a journey of understanding — tracing a path through context, heritage, and emotion to reveal a brand’s authentic voice. ALISIA ENCO’S creative universe feels profoundly aligned with this philosophy: thoughtful, articulate, timeless.
ALISIA ENCO: When enjoying your morning coffee, what’s your favorite ritual or blend — and does it inspire your work in any way?
My mornings are far from the perfectly styled ones we scroll through on Instagram — but they are real. I wake up very early to take my son to school, and our car rides have become a cherished ritual. Between school bags and traffic jams, there’s always laughter — he’s almost twelve, witty, and full of observations that remind me how creativity begins with curiosity.
We have a small game: every morning we try to catch the exact moment and place when the sun touches the horizon. If we leave home two minutes later, we miss it. It’s our daily lesson in timing, perspective, and beauty.
By 8:30, I’m at the office, coffee in hand, opening my laptop to two of my favorite newsletters — “Italy Segreta” and “Go Far. Come Closer.”. They reconnect me with what I value most: substance, culture, and discovery. That’s my real morning blend.
ALISIA ENCO: You started in Fine Arts and now work in communication and brand strategy. How do you bring your artistic sensibility into everyday creative decisions?
For me, every project begins with an insight, never with a trend. Insights are truths — sometimes raw, sometimes poetic — that lie beneath the surface. My Fine Arts background trained me to observe, to analyze matter and meaning simultaneously. Branding, in that sense, is a creative act of revelation.
Take NoodFood, a vegan snack brand that began online and grew into a café in Bucharest. When I first analyzed their products, I discovered something primal — textures and flavors that felt unprocessed, elemental, almost sculptural. That led to a branding concept inspired by Antoni Tàpies and Jannis Kounellis, artists who elevated simplicity and materiality to art.
Similarly, for Cortina Garden, I immersed myself in the neoclassical architecture of Bucharest and the flora found at the city’s gates, ensuring the brand’s identity was rooted in its environment. Even my most recent collaboration, with the National Museum of History of Romania, carries this same thread: every narrative we craft must begin with what’s true, not with what’s fashionable.
Ironically, we struggle in the Post-Truth era. We – as creators, communicators – we have the responsibility of telling the truth. At least for the sake of our children’s future.
ALISIA ENCO: What’s your approach to balancing intuition and structure when crafting campaigns for lifestyle and hospitality brands?
With over two decades in advertising and a formal education in Fine Arts, I bring a blend of analytical precision and artistic intuition. Strategy gives a brand direction; art gives it soul. I call my approach art-driven strategy — where the beauty of an idea is measured by how truthfully it serves its purpose.
For lifestyle and hospitality brands, this balance is crucial. These are industries built on emotion, yet guided by discipline. My role is to choreograph both — to ensure the brand’s visual poetry always dances in harmony with business logic.
ALISIA ENCO: Running your own company and collaborating with premium brands must come with challenges. What’s one lesson you’ve learned that you’d share with other women building their paths?
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is the importance of a consolidated general culture and professional education. General culture keeps you connected to your inner reality and roots—roots that give you wings and cannot be hidden or changed.
Professional education protects you from superficiality, from being swept away by trends, and from losing your sense of purpose in a world full of distractions. Stay grounded, stay curious, never stop learning and never vulgarize your brand for the sake of trends.
In a world fascinated by appearances, staying intellectually and professionally anchored is the most elegant form of rebellion.
ALISIA ENCO: What inspires you lately — a book, artist, place, or experience — and how do you bring that inspiration into your daily life?
Lately, I’ve been drawn to “marginal collosi” – fabulous creators who live outside the boundaries of mass luxury. I am fascinated by the personality and work of Elsa Schiaparelli and the revival of her house under Daniel Roseberry’s creative direction. Schiaparelli fascinates me with her surrealist intelligence — her capacity to transform irony into elegance.
Horacio Pagani, whom I discovered through my son’s passion for car design while visiting the museum-atelier near Modena – embodies the sacred devotion to engineering, craft, and emotion. One of my favorite details is that he designed the side mirrors of his concept cars in the shape of his wife’s eye — a poetic reminder that even in the realm of precision and performance, love and beauty can guide the line.
They are what I call “marginal colossi” — not because they stand aside, but because they are unreachable by the ordinary. They remind me that true refinement is not about scale, but about soul, curiosity and work. A lot of work. Every day, I try to bring that lesson into my services: to create brands and communication that are not loud, but unforgettable.
Thank you so much, dear Cristina!
Cristina Diaconescu | CMO Premium Lifestyle & Hospitality Brands
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinadiaconescu/
