Handmade jewellery inspired by memories

of pure joy under the Portuguese sun

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Atelier Piino is a brand founded by Portuguese designer Rita Botelho. As the brand likes to describe itself, Piino is a colorful, playful but still refined and delicate jewellery collection. Inspired by memories of pure joy under the Portuguese sun, the brand wants to inspire people to enjoy what is best in life and be proud of their uniqueness.

Made with polymer clay and 925 silver 24k gold plated studs, each piece is designed and handmade by Rita Botelho and, because of that, no two pieces are ever the same. The artisanal production process and the material itself make sure each piece is unique with its own imperfections.

Búzio earrings in the making by Rita Botelho, founder of Atelier Piino

Búzio earring by Atelier Piino

Polymer clay is a non-toxic vinyl plastic with incredible properties that can last a lifetime when properly baked. There is very little waste, as the clay lasts for years if unbaked, any leftovers can be mixed, and baked pieces can be re-cut and made into new pieces.

Traço and Gota earrings by Atelier Piino

Búzio earrings by Atelier Piino

Basically, Atelier Piino is everything we look for in a brand to showcase: ethical production and inspirational designs. The bold geometrical shapes combined with the soft color palette results in contemporary designs that also resemble sophisticated classicalness. After coming across this amazing brand, we could not let the opportunity pass us by… Want to get to know more about Atelier Piino? Then check out the questions Rita has agreed to answer for us!

Hello Rita,

Could you tell us more about yourself?

Rita: My name is Rita Botelho and I’m a Portuguese designer with a background in product design and passionate about jewellery. I live and work in Porto.

How did you start Atelier Piino? What is the idea behind it?

Rita: I started Piino in November 2019. After many years living abroad, me and my family decided to come back to Portugal. From the moment we arrived, I knew that I wanted to do a personal project: imagined, designed and produced by me. My goal was to make colorful, playful but still refined and delicate jewellery. I wanted to do it by hand, learn with the process and create a space for collaborations and positive energy. The whole visual concept and name "Piino" (pino means handstand in Portuguese) is inspired by the happiest memories I have of my childhood at the Falésia beach in Algarve, where I spent all my summers playing in the sand.

The brand is all ethically made in Portugal, right? Who is manufacturing the products?

Rita: Yes, absolutely. One of my main goals with Piino, was to make the pieces myself and control the whole process. I was eager to go solo and have that feeling of independence. I do my best to offer timeless pieces which are carefully crafted to keep and cherish for as long as possible.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Rita: My own life experiences, nature, art, design and architecture.

What is the material you like the most to work with and why?

Rita: It's polymer clay, a non-toxic vinyl plastic with incredible properties that can last a lifetime when properly baked. I discovered this material when I was just beginning this project and I fell in love with it. I can make every color I can think of, it has an incredible texture and it is flexible. It is extremely resistant, waterproof and light. It’s quite hard to start working with it and even after all this time, I am still learning new tricks. It is a challenging material and fascinating at the same time.

What is your favorite piece crafted so far?

Rita: The model called "Pino" that looks like a handstand. It was the first model I did with moulds in the oven and also the first that uses the material's flexibility. I was so happy that it worked out because I knew I had made something different in the “polymer clay world" and that has always been my goal: to push the material and techniques to their limits and make a difference with new design approaches.

What is your most remarkable memory from Atelier Piino’s journey?

Rita: When Márcia Santos, a Portuguese singer I admire, wore her Búzio earrings in one of her biggest concerts in Lisbon. When I saw the photos of her in the press, the morning after, I just couldn’t stop smiling. She looked so beautiful with them on stage.

How do you think the worldwide lockdown is affecting your business?

Rita: Like other small businesses, I am being affected economically. However, the positive side of this situation is that I feel an incredible support from other brands and clients who value handmade products.

If you had one advice to give to new brands, what would it be?

Rita: Go for it!! Waiting for the perfect idea/product/website/strategy is just going to delay your project. If it doesn’t work out, do it again but better. It’s like making an handstand (pino in Portuguese)…you keep trying and you keep learning until you get really good at it. Not being afraid to make mistakes is key to make things work in a long term. Do what you love and get inspired by your own story. We are all unique and that will be reflected in your brand.

Any new exciting projects coming soon? Do you intend to expand your line?

Rita: Yes and Yes!! My problem is actually to restrain myself. I can easily get lost in my ideas and then I forget the commercial side of the business. I am definitely learning a lot along the way. It is always a work in progress.

What is your morning routine?

Rita: I wake up (normally with my daughter jumping on my bed haha), make a nice breakfast, a nice cappuccino (essential) and take a shower. Without food, coffee and shower I have a really hard time to function!!

And finally, could you tell us what is your favorite city in the world? Why?

Rita: Kyoto!! I lived in Kyoto for nine months while I was doing a professional internship as a product designer and I had the best life experience ever. I believe that most of my design and crafts references are somehow related with what I saw and experienced there.

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