It’s not very often that we find a jewellery label which exhibits a flair of contemporary style, with a connoisseurship of classic heritage. However, with Brazil-based, eponymous brand, Tatiana Berenguer, we get exactly that. The incredible label exhibits a versatility in each of its pieces, creating a line-up of earrings, necklaces & bracelets, which resonate an effortless elegance.
With an expertise & knowledge in the field of gemological (she’s attended the prestigious GIA), designer Tatiana Berenguer demonstrates an element of creativity with a keen eye for immaculate details (which we absolutely love). Intrigued by the world of Tatiana’s beautiful designs, we sat down with the designer to discuss all things inspiring, her usual day-to-day routine & her fall wardrobe essentials.
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana Berenguer
The Tatiana Berenguer Journey
Tatiana: My father was my first inspiration to start my jewellery journey. My mother is from Teofilo Otoni, the capital of gemstones in Brazil, and my family has some business in the field.
While I was living in the US, my father suggested to take a jewellery making course at the Philadelphia University of The Arts. At first I wasn’t very excited, because I thought it would be boring, but in fact I then fell in love with jewellery making, at age 16. Ever since, I have constantly continued to further my studies.
I then got scholarships to several courses in jewellery making, wax carving & stone setting, before graduating in product design. That was the time for another of my great passions to bloom, resulting in a post grad degree in gemology.
My journey in London started after that, as I got a scholarship to study at the GIA, where I also specialised in jewellery design and diamond grading. My time in London was essential to develop the business strategy I have today and to expand my vision to global possibilities. I love the U.K. and after living in London for three years, and constantly coming back, I consider it my second home.
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana Berenguer
Tatiana’s Many Sources of Inspiration
Tatiana: I love to create and I need to constantly be creating new things, even apart from jewellery. As a product designer, I think of the display, so I like to design everything that is involved in the process, sometimes even the clothing I would wear at the launch.
So when designing a new collection, I first need a theme to tell a story that is important to me and the time of my life it reflects. I like to let my imagination run wild, but when investing in a new collection I am very down to earth and think of it as a product, after all, people would need to wear it and therefore purchase it. So I create designs thinking of these consumers, who they are, what they do and what occasions they would be wearing the jewellery to.
Then I always try to implement my design asthetics and identity, like making versitile mechanisms that gives mix and match possibilities since all the collections have interchangeable components that allow the consumer to adapt the pieces to their own personality and different occasions. For me versatility is freedom and the jewellery needs to express the possibility to be whoever you would like to.
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana Berenguer
The Impact of Social Media
Tatiana: Social media impacted my brand journey completely and still is. I believe more and more people should be paying attention to the digital world, as it is essential for the future.
A great book I recommend reading is Socialnomics. The author says we don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it. According to their studies, half of the world is under 30 years old and by 2025, 75% of the world’s income will come from millennials. Older people are already adapting to technology very fast; my mom, for instance, is almost 60 years old but posts on Instagram every day using locations, hashtag strategy and tagging people.
I have a whole digital strategy to impact the brand and sales by creating desire through posting high quality content regularly and engaging with my customers through pictures, videos, tutorials and promoting my retailers.
Today, I have over 30k followers on my brand’s Instagram account (@tatianaberenguerjoias). I believe social media increases the brand loyalty, the brand recognition, credibility and trust. One of my retailers found me through Instagram and when looking through its account, you can find out so much about the brand.
My customers range from ages 25 to 60, this audience is expressed in numbers statistics. Another great thing about social media is how affordable a marketing tool it is, especially if you study the analytics data available and use the many promoting features.
Most of the desire is created through social media, then when the customer comes to see and buy they already know so much about the pieces and the brand.
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana Berenguer
A Usual Day In The Life of Tatiana
Tatiana: My day is more boring than you would guess. I had thought that by becoming a jewellery designer I would be designing and creating a lot, but the truth is that I talk to my accountant more than I would like to.
In order to have a successful jewellery business, there is a whole process involved, including thinking of how to create high quality products with sustainable and trustworthy sources, where they would be marketed and distributed, how to reach customers, how to communicate the brand values to these costumers, marketing the products through editorials, launches, celebrities and bloggers placements, the right PR… there is so much involved.
So my day usually consists of taking care of each of these aspects. Thankfully, I have a team of collaborators that help me get these things done efficiently so I can now concentrate mainly on management, strategy and designing.
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana Berenguer
Tatiana’s ‘Must-Have’ Essentials
Tatiana: I love retro style and very feminine outfits, so you would see me wearing a lot of midi skirts. Right now, I am in love with pearls and mixing and matching items from my Abre Alas (wings) collection.
I believe fashion is about expressing your personality and true style stands the test of time. In my closet, you’d find conscious decisions and less of really fast fashion items, with the exception of jeans.
The Tip To Aspiring Designers
Tatiana: I would advise new aspiring designers to concentrate on creating their own, unique design identity. In order to stand out and differentiate from the competitors in any business it is crucial to be innovative.
I would suggest being unafraid to express your true aesthetic. The most important person is your final customer, so understand who they are, what they want and strive to provide the best quality and experience for them.
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana Berenguer
Follow Tatiana Berenguer: @tatianaberenguerjoias