About Us - The Cosi Fan Tutte Story

Let the beauty you love
 be what you do
                   

                            Kahil Gibran


Once upon a time a girl named Andrea dreamed a dream - to create a sanctuary of sensory bliss . . . a place that lifts the spirit, touches the soul and inspires you to embrace your creative destiny ... A place that inspires you to live your own dream.   Cosi Fan Tutte is an emporium of delights. It is a slightly surreal arrangement of beautiful objects inspired by fairytales and exotic lands.   Cosi Fan Tutte is a mysterious alchemy revealing ideas in process.  Like life Cosi is never at a stand-still - rather it is an ever-changing collage of textures and colour.  Cosi Fan Tutte is a visual delight ... evoking the wistful sense of an exquisite existence.  Cosi Fan Tutte is  a comic opera - a treat for the senses - a balm for the soul. Cosi Fan Tutte is a dream come true . . . 


THE STORY SO FAR

COSI FAN TUTTE - BEGINNINGS

Cosi Fan Tutte (a name inspired by Mozart's comic opera) began life in at 95 Dyers Pass Road in Cashmere, Christchurch - a small and very English city in New Zealand - over a decade ago.  Sitting at 'The Cup' - a lovely cafe in Christchurch's Port Hills -  and seeing a sign in the window of the shop across the road saying "for lease" Cosi's founder - Andrea Stagg - decided to leap headlong into a new venture . . . and a new life. 

Andrea's love of creating photographic images turned into a passion for creating shop tableaux and displays which, combined with a life long love of travel and searching for vintage treasures, meant Cosi was the perfect outlet for all of her life's loves. 

 

COSI FAN TUTTE - THE CHRISTCHURCH STORY 

Cosi soon grew out of the tiny space at 95 Dyers Pass Road and made the move to the bustling, bohemian High Street in Central Christchurch. Soon Cosi was so popular Andrea opened a second Cosi in the charming seaside village of Sumner. Eventually Andrea consolidated Cosi into one large shop in Sumner which quickly gained a dedicated following. The shop was going from strength to strength when the 2011 Christchurch earthquake struck. The quake destroyed Cosi's lovely Sumner home and forced Andrea to move yet again, this time around the corner into a gorgeous old wooden building at 55 Nayland Street. 

Sadly eventually the earthquakes and their aftermath took their toll on the Sumner Cosi and in 2014  Andrea was forced to make the very difficult decision to close the store.  The cheering thought that helped the Cosi Team through the closing of the Sumner store was that in 2013 Andrea had taken the plunge and opened a second Christchurch Cosi Fan Tutte at the new Tannery Boutique Retail and Arts Emporium. The Tannery is a unique and beautiful complex that is a perfect fit for Cosi. The Tannery Cosi is fast becoming as loved as its Sumner predecessor - it is truly a sumptuous haven of delights and a total treat for the senses.


COSI FAN TUTTE IN AUCKLAND - OUR DEVONPORT STORE

In November 2010 - leaving her Christchurch Cosi Fan Tutte stores in the capable hands of the Christchurch Cosi Angels - Andrea made the move up to Auckland.  She leased a building in Calliope Road, Devonport - originally the milk depot for farmers the area - and Cosi Fan Tutte in Auckland was opened with much jubilation. Andrea's long-time friend Lise was the best gift of all. She joined Andrea wholeheartedly in making the Devonport Cosi a welcoming destination. In 2013 the Devonport Cosi shifted from Calliope Road to it's current site at 73 Victoria Road.  The shop is now much bigger but it still has the same gorgeous Cosi vibe and it fits in so perfectly with the bustling high-street ambience of the gorgeous seaside village of Devonport. 

 

COSI FAN TUTTE - NEW OWNERSHIP, NEW BEGINNINGS  

In January 2017 Cosi experienced one of the biggest changes in its history when Andrea moved on to other adventures and a new owner - Debbie Grenfell - took over Cosi Fan Tutte at The Tannery. Debbie spent the first year or so familiarising herself with the shop, buying new stock and just generally getting the feel of what it meant to be at the helm of the phenomenon that is Cosi Fan Tutte.  She was supported during that settling-in phase by the entire Cosi team - in particular Cosi’s then-manager Lili Vivian and Cosi’s stylist Catherine Plom. Last year Lili left Cosi to start a new venture of her own in the North Island and Debbie took over the reins of Cosi as owner-manager. 


Then, in February of 2020 Debbie also bought the Devonport Cosi and now the two Cosi Fan Tutte stores are once again under the same ownership which is very exciting for the whole Cosi Team. And the story continues . . . 



THE COSI EXPERIENCE

Both our Devonport and Tannery stores are emporiums of delight where as soon as you walk through the doors you will find yourself embraced by delicious scents, lulled by beautiful sounds and where everywhere you look you will see gorgeous things that will inspire and excite you, thrill and delight you. Cosi Fan Tutte is more than just a shop - it is a magical place that will make your heart sing.





About Us

Cosi Fan Tutte is a sanctuary of sensory bliss that lifts the spirit, touches the soul & inspires you to embrace your creative destiny - to live your dream. Cosi Fan Tutte is an emporium of beautiful objects from all over the world, an ever-changing collage of ideas, textures and colours - effervescent and flighty. Cosi Fan Tutte is a sumptuous array of delights - evoking the wistful sense of an exquisite existence. Cosi Fan Tutte - an operatic confection of surpassing beauty. Cosi Fan Tutte - every woman’s tempting dream.