Join Founder of Blink Brow Bar, Vanita Parti, as she talks with inspirational entrepreneurs across beauty, lifestyle and beyond, uncovering their paths to success and the challenges along the way. Everyone has a brow story, let's unravel it.
Vanita is joined on the brow sofa by Christie and Rosanna Wollenberg - Founders of sustainable jewellery brand, Otiumberg. Championing timeless, classic pieces to elevate the everyday, Christie and Rosanna have built a brand that is reflective of their elegant and effortless personal style.
As sisters and business partners, Christie and Rosanna speak on building a brand together, navigating the work-life balance and the jewellery pieces that everybody needs in their collection.
Q: What inspired Otiumberg, and what is your inspiration today?
Vanita is joined on the brow sofa by Christie and Rosanna Wollenberg - Founders of sustainable jewellery brand, Otiumberg. Championing timeless, classic pieces to elevate the everyday, Christie and Rosanna have built a brand that is reflective of their elegant and effortless personal style.
As sisters and business partners, Christie and Rosanna speak on building a brand together, navigating the work-life balance and the jewellery pieces that everybody needs in their collection.
Q: What inspired Otiumberg, and what is your inspiration today?
We love jewellery as a means of self-expression, and our collection is very personal to us. Before launching the business, we both had several new piercings and were looking for earrings, but felt frustrated that the affordable pieces didn't last and the fine jewellery was so out of our price range. That’s when we decided to create what we couldn't find elsewhere – a collection of elevated jewellery staples with timeless elegance and uncompromising quality. Initially, we made pieces for ourselves and our friends, but as demand grew, Otiumberg was born.
We draw inspiration from art, fashion and the world around us. Architecture and sculpture are a key source of inspiration for our design work, and luckily living in London we are not short of references. Our studio is a stone’s throw away from the Tate Modern which means we have access to some of the most exciting new art and installations. We are constantly inspired by the style of our friends and peers, and London's unique fashion aesthetic.
Looking back to vintage pieces also informs our design process - Grays Antique Market in particular is an endless source of inspiration, and we love taking time to dive into old pieces and archives to inform our collection.
Q: What key pieces should you look for when curating your jewellery wardrobe?
This totally depends on your personal style. Beyond the sentimental aspect, jewellery is a form of self expression that almost becomes a second skin. We design jewellery with a timeless perspective that complements the wearer’s personal style, so for us building the foundations of your jewellery wardrobe with timeless, easy to wear pieces that aren't trend led is key to an effortless daily style. Our solid gold collection is crafted to last, and there is something beautiful about the thought of these special pieces living on to become your family’s heirlooms of the future.
Q: As sisters and business partners, what advice would you give to women looking to take the leap into entrepreneurship?
Knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and approaching difficult situations with compassion and understanding is so important when you run a business together. As sisters, our deep understanding and trust enables us to drive the brand together intuitively, and our shared family keeps us together and able to overcome any challenges that come our way.
