Female Founded: Otiumberg

At Otiumberg, jewellery isn’t just about adornment—it’s about creating connections and shared moments. Founded by sisters Christie and Rosanna Wollenberg, Otiumberg has swiftly made its mark on the contemporary jewellery scene, combining personal milestones with timeless elegance. We delve into how their sisterhood has shaped the brand, their journey to becoming a B Corp, and what’s next for this growing label. From a love for personalisation to the excitement of opening their first flagship store, Christie and Rosanna share how they’ve built a brand rooted in sustainable practices.

Going into business with family is always risky. How have you found being sisters benefitted the brand? What elements did you each bring to the table?
We often say that sisterhood is our secret weapon. I think the most valuable aspect is that our sisterhood provides us both with a safe space to be honest, to have difficult conversations and to truly lean on each other. Before going into business together we both had years of experience and had developed complementary skill sets in our previous roles across the luxury fashion and branding world. This meant we were able to come together to shape and build Otiumberg side by side. I also strongly believe that our shared upbringing in a close-knit family meant we shared a lot of the same visual references, memories and experiences which developed a shared aesthetic and eye. This has allowed us to work both together and, importantly, separately with alignment.

Otiumberg is well known for the personalisation collection.  How does it feel to know you are a part of so many customers' personal milestones?
Our personalised collection has always been at the heart of our collections, in fact, our signature name bracelets and pendants came about after the birth of Christie's children when she wanted to craft everyday pieces that felt chic and timeless whilst also reminding her of her children. One of the reasons we love jewellery so much is its inherent ability to represent connection and it gives us great joy to see our pieces do exactly that, whether it’s a deep friendship or newborn. We feel very honoured to be part of that celebration and memory. This fall we will be launching a new personalised offer, the Totem Cord Bracelet, which offers a playful cord bracelet that can be endlessly personalised. We're excited to see how our customers choose to wear and gift these pieces and the chapters that they will represent. 

I know you only design what you would wear yourselves. What are your go to styles from your collections this season?
Our Stilla Collections have introduced beautiful green, blue and quartz gemstones that feel autumnal and alluring when paired in their dusty gold setting. We love wearing the matching set of earrings and necklace together for a complete look. As always, the Knot Collection is our go to with such varied options to style up or down depending on the occasion, the Cord is a personal favourite with a blazer or the longer mixed metal knot necklace over a jumper. It's a collection that remains one of our favourite even years after launch. The recent Roscida collection including the sell-out Roscida heart earrings are always part of our stack.

What have been some of the most memorable collaborations to date? The collaboration with Camilla & Marc was particularly memorable as it was such a natural and successful marriage of two creative visions. It was so much fun to work with a creative team and RTW brand that resonated with us and understood the impact of jewellery. Our inaugural collection with C&M sold out in weeks and really gave birth to our love of ear cuffs which we now evolve every season with new designs. Running a business can be challenging but this collaboration felt so fun and natural that it stands out as the most memorable. 

What is your jewellery styling hack this season?
Just stacking ear cuffs. It feels chic and allows customers to achieve a stacked look without the piercings. I'd also say that sometimes less is more, opting for our style sets of paired earrings and necklaces to create a sophisticated and intentional look.

How have you found the process of incorporating SMO gold into your collections?
We try to grow Otiumberg in the most responsible and conscious way we can - always with an unwavering commitment to do better. We’re a small voice in a huge industry but we always try to keep our finger on the pulse of responsible developments. Whilst we recognise the benefits of recycled gold, we have become aware that it is by no means the perfect solution to addressing conditions within the mining industry itself and lacks true traceability.

That’s why we decided to introduce SMO (Single Mine Origin) gold into the collection in 2023, alongside our recycled gold pieces. With every SMO gold purchase, customers receive a QR code with information about the exact mine from which the gold has been mined, offering transparency and full traceability.

The process of integrating Single Mine Origin gold has been straightforward and allows us to support an initiative that aims to install traceability and therefore increase accountability within larger-scale gold mining.

Transparency and accountability are key to the brand's ethos, leading yourselves to attain a B Corp Certification! How are you aiming to develop and further this mission?
Looking ahead this month, we are launching two new charity partnerships to support our mission to empower women and girls. We are delighted to be working with The Girl’s Network in the UK and the Pratthanadee Foundation in Thailand. We are also working behind the scenes on our annual responsibility report which analyses the impact of our business from both an environmental and social standpoint.

For women interested in entering the fashion industry, what advice would you give based on your experiences?
Christie - I worked in luxury fashion for 10 years before we started Otiumberg and learnt a huge amount. I think it’s important to work out what it is you want to do in the industry. If you’re not sure, try and secure some work experience as it’s often then that you realise what it is you are passionate about - studying is great but you need to be in the environment to see how businesses work. Don’t be scared to move around too - for example, I started off in the buying department at Burberry, moved to PR with Louis Vuitton, then on to events and VIP management.

Why the decision to invest in a bricks and mortar store? What plans do you have for the space?
Nothing beats seeing jewellery in real life. When you feel the pieces and try them on, you realise how much detail goes into each piece, that the weight is perfect, not too light, not too heavy, and that there is a real sense of timelessness with the designs. It’s exciting to see the full collection in person, try on cuffs and then move onto chains. A store for us was inevitable as we knew our customers wanted to experience the brand, we just needed to find the right space that worked for us and felt truly Otiumberg. We are also hosting trunk shows in-store where customers and friends of the brands invite their friends or colleagues and sip coffee or champagne while trying on and shopping for jewels. It’s a great way to get women together, catch up with friends and treat yourselves or each other. One-to-one appointments are also available which customers can book online, a lot of men tend to book in for these and we ensure they have the right advice and styling suggestions. 

What’s next for Otiumberg? Are there any more exciting projects our readers can look forward to?
Yes, our beautiful new personalisation bracelets called Totem - letters that can spell out the names of loved ones, friends, children or pets in different colour cords. Stack and wear on your wrists, or gift to someone special. We are always working on so many different projects all the time, from pop ups in Japan to piercing parties in the store. There is never a dull moment!