Ecommerce handbook: Atelier VM

Give me a brief description of your business? Atelier VM is an Italian contemporary fine jewellery brand which we, Marta Caffarelli and Viola Naj-Oleari launched back in 1998. The Atelier VM story initially began in NYC where we were creating pieces exclusively for the Barney’s customers. From there, we launched our line in Milan, designing jewellery that is simple and delicate with a sophisticated discretion, a meeting of a certain Milanese aesthetic with a minimalism which is rooted in the signature New York style. We like to challenge the conceptions of fine jewellery; marrying hard stones with plastics, gold with glass and paper etc. What is your current e-commerce set-up? We have an e-commerce site that is handled in-house, in addition to a presence on the Liberty e-commerce site. Why do you feel your ecommerce business has been a success? We are fortunate to have great support internationally both editorially and via social media influencers too. So our brand awareness reaches far and wide. We also have flagship boutiques in some key international markets that are frequented not only by local Londoners, Parisians and Milanese, but we receive many international visitors at our boutiques. Therefore the combination of both these factors has resulted in a strong e-commerce business for us. What has been your ecommerce biggest accomplishment so far? Perhaps the launch of the e-commerce site itself was one of the greatest accomplishments. As anyone who’s launched one will know, it takes a lot of time and effort on both the design side as well as the back end to ensure it runs smoothly whilst staying true to the brand ethos. Given we’re also selling fine jewellery, the quality of the imagery itself is paramount to properly convey the quality of the stones and craftsmanship behind each piece too. Tell me about the design of your website? Our backgrounds are in art and industrial design. Therefore we have an acute sense of attention to detail. Our website is reflective of Atelier VM; minimalist and functional with a Milanese twist. How do you engage with your customers? Members of our database receive regular newsletters with new product launches and other Atelier VM news. We also enjoy great support from social media influencers globally which then also helps to translate too in turn to web traffic as well. What’s your plan for the next year? We have plans for next year that include expanding to further territories. As the idea for Atelier VM was initially conceived in New York, we’d love to see a boutique there with a view to further opening up the US market which we feel would be very strong for us. Also, growing our existing but newest markets in which we’ve established solid bases too – London and Paris. It’s an exciting time for us as there are many plans in progress.