Marta Caffarelli: "Awareness is all that matters" Interview with the co-founder of Atelier VM

Some time ago, on the occasion of Atelier VM’s twenty-fifth anniversary exhibition, we went on site to interview its founders, Marta Caffarelli and Viola Naj Oleari. They welcomed us into their world, sharing their creative spirit and their relationship with their audience, looking back with both sweetness and awareness. Now, speaking again with Caffarelli, we decided to talk about the future, focusing on the 2026 launches. The conversation quickly moved away from the traditional Q&A format, becoming a free flow of thoughts.

Marta Caffarelli, interview with the co-founder of Atelier VM

Let’s start with the "Pon Pon" collection and the Akoya pearl. How did it come about?

This mini collection was retrieved from the past. When we celebrated our 25th anniversary, we found ourselves taking a step back in time. It was a real discovery, like seeing ourselves from the outside. The jewelry archive is a precious treasure: we realized it still contains so much material to bring back and reinterpret. In a world oversaturated with newness, sometimes it’s enough to look back. The Pon Pon necklace, for example, revisits a design from 2006 that was very successful: simple, minimalist, and tied to a theme that is fundamental for us, closure. The new version is more elaborate, tightening naturally, and instead of a clasp it features a small triangle of lab-grown diamonds. The Akoya pearl, cultivated in saltwater according to Japanese tradition, is not smooth but treated like a gemstone, with many small facets.

Something similar also happened with the "Virtuosa" collection, which grew from a single ring. What was the inspiration in that case?

The inspiration came from an interesting mix: a design with a retro feel combined with innovative materials, such as lab-grown diamonds. We used 18-carat gold, and the ring became our best-seller last year. From there came the idea of creating a small collection, with the three-flower necklace. In truth, everything starts from what we feel inside: we don’t work rigidly with seasons and collections. One thing leads to another, and sometimes something develops even after 20 years. It takes time, and it’s a natural process. I know it clashes with the rigid rules of fashion, but for us, taking our time is an added value.

Among the collections there’s also "Memorie", which has yet to be released and plays with the relationship with clients, almost becoming a personal diary. This is a recurring theme, can you tell us more?

These are intimate and personal jewels. Even L’Essenziale was born this way: clean, minimalist, but open to experience. It’s the customer who completes it, inserting their own story, intentions, and desires. I often see people wearing several L’Essenziale bracelets, each tied to a moment in their life, like tattoos. It’s both a diary and an imprint. This approach is present in all our more experiential pieces. Our boutique, too, is a little world: those who enter leave behind the chaos of the city and step into a rarefied, welcoming atmosphere, almost like a cuddle. You look at the jewels, talk, listen. Nothing is ever planned at a desk, but the care we put into it is clear.

So intimate jewelry is the result of your experience rather than a planned choice?

Behind every Atelier VM jewel there is a small story. If someone encounters it, it means they were meant to. For us, too, who create them, the jewels are lived. Sometimes an idea seems appealing, but without a story it doesn’t develop. It’s a path that only takes shape when a true connection exists.

What is the common thread linking these launches to the brand’s future? What can we expect from Atelier VM?

Right now, what’s needed is awareness. We need to slow down. For us, 2026 will be a year of consolidation: taking care of what we have, looking inward, without taking steps longer than our stride. It doesn’t mean stagnation, but improving the experience. We want to preserve our soul and our non-aggressive DNA, even in a market full of competitors. Every novelty must have its own time, otherwise we risk destroying this world. At the same time, we want to travel: there are markets where we are not yet present and that we want to explore, bringing our jewelry to new spaces. We’ve already had a first meeting with Japan.

One last thing you’d like to add?

I’d like to share a thought on lab-grown diamonds. They, too, are part of the awareness I mentioned. We cannot talk about true sustainability, but we can take steps forward: stop depleting our planet and avoid adding unnecessary things. This applies both to the collections and to the way of life we propose.