A coffee with Olga...

This week I received a very special visit in the showroom, I invite you to continue reading to discover the full story, I am sure you will like it!

Olga is Olga Prieto, her jewelry is a reflection of her personality, her special way of interpreting the world through handmade work and precious stones.

Its showroom/store, located at Jorge Juan 37 where it welcomes us, is a world apart, surrounded by art and original objects , its jewelry blends perfectly with the environment, they simply flow.

Hello Olga, How excited to see you! Thank you so much for having us in your showroom, everything here is so beautiful...

Thanks to you, yes! I really wanted to see you, with so much traveling it is difficult to meet. I love my showroom, how can I not like it if it's my home! (laughs). I have always liked to have pieces of jewelry as if they were decorative objects, that the pieces coexist with books, art , I surround them with beautiful things collected over the years. My jewelry tells my story, where I come from, what I love, what inspires me and who I am.

Olga, if we start at the beginning, what led you to create your jewelry brand?

Life itself! (laughs). I studied pharmacy, nothing to do with this, and in 2002 I moved to Caracas for love and then to Mexico where I discovered a fascinating world , full of energy, light, color, but above all craftsmanship, and I realized how beautiful it is. the only thing, that which has no mold.

I met an artisan in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city and I fell in love with his pieces , however I thought that they were missing or extra something ... one day I dared and went to his workshop, we started working together , first making pieces for me and very soon, upon seeing the success they had , I decided to venture into this wonderful world of jewelry, and turn that passion into a business. Today, almost 20 years later, we continue working together.

What did you realize?

I discovered that I was completely happy making jewelry , that I was passionate about unique pieces, those that have no mold. In Mexico, on every corner, on every street you can see an artisan making a unique piece.

My jewelry is inspired by stones, I started traveling in search of them. I like many of them, I look for irregular, large-sized ones , one of the first ones I worked with was obsidian, a wonderful Mexican volcanic crystal that stars in one of my most emblematic pieces, The Vulcano Necklace.

When you created the brand, what did you want to achieve?

Convert my passion for jewelry and handmade work in Mexico into value, take it with me everywhere , ensure that this beautiful know-how inherited from many generations is not lost . I started to create the brand, the logo,... I made the leap to national fairs first, Mexico City and Guadalajara, but also international fairs , New York, Berlin, Paris... And I realized that my pieces were very well received.

I started selling in special stores in boutique hotels, galleries, jewelry stores , and although tempting, I have not had my own point of sale until now. I always tell myself that my pieces are forever, well cared for they last a lifetime . Even today I am excited when clients come to see me with my creations from 2004/2005 telling me that they can't take them off, that they look like the first day and that they love them. It fills me with satisfaction.

Any turning point in your business?

I was a mother of three children in three years without my family around , and it was very hard. I could no longer follow such a crazy rhythm of fairs, trips... without neglecting them. I rethought things, reduced travel and set up the showroom at home . I couldn't forget that my reality was now different, we were Olga Prieto + 3 more little people that I had to take care of.

What is the balance after all these years? Almost 20 years…
 
It has been hard, starting out with 3 children outside of my country , you have to live it. But at the same time it has been an incredible and very stimulating experience , My heart and soul are full!

What advice would you give to someone who doesn't dare to take the plunge?

Get out of your comfort zone and DARE In life many opportunities lead you to others that you did not expect. You have to think about it well, look for the moment and make numbers, if they are numerical zeros like me (laughs) someone can help you, but this has to be seen. Understand that it is going to be very hard because you will be very alone and you will make many mistakes that you have to digest and learn from them.

You have to be willing to give yourself body and soul but The satisfaction of creating something from scratch is enormous. Don't let the fact that you lack experience stop you, study, train yourself in what you believe in and don't forget that you also learn along the way.

Any key person who always helped you? Without a doubt my generous friends, those who have lived with me and have become my family. They have always supported me, left their shoulder to cry and also their time to laugh. My mother also came to Mexico a lot to help every time I needed her. They have a lot to do with Olga Prieto's success. And finally, which WASACS would represent you? Wow, I'm clear! I love the small bag, the Mini Aude, in tobacco tone. I love bags in general and I really like the WASACS one, I wear it crossbody or on my shoulder. I really like the skin, the smell, and above all seeing how it has evolved, how it has adapted to me, to my life.

Speaking of generous friends, I want to introduce you to my interviewer, her name is Cristina and after many years in the luxury and beauty industry she decided to pursue her dream, and create a brand of vegetable tanned leather bags and accessories made by hand in Spain.

Having lived in Paris, Tokyo and Buenos Aires, WASACS is an inspiration to all
places he lived, experiences, landscapes, and people who crossed his path.

I encourage you to get to know her through her beautiful bags 💘