Covet the Comeback: How a Greek Immigrant's Son Found Success, Lost Everything, Then Built a Fashion Empire

Long before creating Covet by Christos, the world’s leading livestreamer of all things luxury, future founder and CEO Christos Garkinos grew up in Detroit as the gay son of Greek immigrants and started working in his parents’ diner at the age of four.

Seeking a bigger life post-college, Garkinos took a job under Richard Branson in the mid-90’s heyday of Virgin Megastores. Beginning to rub shoulders with A-list celebrities, he embarked on a 25-year fashion and media career with many highs and lows. Covet the Comeback lays bare the entire story—as well as all the things that can get swept beneath the red carpet.

Garkinos reinvented the resale luxury market and was coined the “Robin Hood of Fashion.” A breakout role on Bravo TV soon followed, as did a lucrative Home Shopping Network stint—though with it came countless coke-fueled parties and the slow descent into addiction. When Garkinos’ hard-earned empire crumbled, he realized he was near financial ruin.

By the time Garkinos got sober, the world was in the midst of a global pandemic—and, despite the fact that he was driving around in a Range Rover, he was completely broke. A chance meeting where he uttered the word “trudging” led to him starting a trunk show business that went virtual and has since brought in more than 100 million dollars in sales worldwide.

For future business moguls and dreamers of all kinds, Covet the Comeback is far more than a must-read redemption story. It’s a masterclass in learning that we all fall down—and how to get back up in style.

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Release date

Audiobook: 8 March 2025