Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This piece profiles Martina Grasselli Coliac, tracing her journey from a childhood immersed in jewelry to founding her own label. It highlights the pivotal moments—her studies in Milan and Paris—that shaped her creative vision.
Reggio Emilia, February 20, 2023 – In the beginning, there was jewelry. A fantastic and familiar world, in which Martina Grasselli Coliac, born in Reggio in 1981, moved with complete freedom, capturing its emotions and a promise for the future. After graduating in Textile Design from NABA in Milan, Martina flew to Paris to attend the Duperré Fashion School, with a strong ambition: to create a jewelry label. This was the origin of the creative turning point in her life.
“I believe it was from the very beginning, from the moment I understood I wanted to be a creative person. I was a very curious child, born into a family of artists and collectors, so I was surrounded by books, design objects… This helped enormously, then it almost became an obsession. The desire to travel then became increasingly insistent, a necessity ever since I realized it fuels my creative process.”
“The Coliac brand originates from my maternal grandmother’s surname, the last descendant of a noble family of French origin, who lived between the 19th and 20th centuries. Mine is a matriarchal family, of strong women who love beauty. I couldn’t help but be inspired by them when I decided to found the brand. Growing up with them, I developed this research and ‘obsession’ for design, but above all for decoration, for jewelry. I wanted, at least conceptually, to give continuity to their story.”
“My first internship was with McCartney, splitting my time between Milan and Bergamo and participating in the Paris fashion shows. It was a very important training period because I followed the entire product development, from design to material selection, to the finished product. Then I measured myself in other important collaborations with Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louboutin. And working for other brands, I realized I wanted to create something of my own, something that would allow me to express myself freely.”
“The Coliac brand was born in 2010, initially as a bijoux brand, and in 2014 as a jewelry-shoe brand. The inspiration comes from art. I didn’t want to limit myself to bijoux; I always had a very clear idea of the aesthetic of the Coliac woman and her total look. After a trip to Shanghai, during a not-so-happy period, I had a flash of inspiration, and upon returning to Italy, I decided to make the first prototype of a shoe that would later become the collection’s Best Seller.”
“When I participated in Who Is On Next, the competition organized by Vogue and AltaRoma, I received a special mention for innovation in shoes. Franca Sozzani suggested I continue with shoes because, in her words, they were unique and special. I followed her advice, and here we are.”
“Apart from devotion and hard work, it was all very spontaneous and sincere. I always did whatever came to mind without thinking about market trends or fleeting fashions. It came naturally to me to adorn the shoe with jewelry, considering it a blank canvas. I chose the flat shoe because I see it as a game to decorate, and I find the androgynous look on a woman to be very refined.”
“Yes, I created capsules of clothing, jewelry, and bags that did very well and were distributed in the best stores in the world.”
“Once you position yourself in certain departments and boutiques with a luxury price point, it’s normal to maintain that standard. We do research from a technical and qualitative point of view and always use high-quality Italian materials.”
“Fernanda is a men’s derby with a very contemporary shape, which instead of laces has piercings made of metal with rhinestones and pearls. It has become an iconic shoe because it can be worn from morning to night, so it’s easy to use but unique in style, very recognizable, and with a strong personality.”
“Exactly. I tend to adorn everything with jewelry; only the AirPods were missing. During the pandemic, when everyone was working on calls, it occurred to me to embellish the earphones, giving these objects a Coliac connotation, so piercings, pearls, and rhinestones that, like charms, decorate ‘like earrings’ these everyday life objects too.”