Varvara Collection, a Perfume Line On the Horizon

Marina Romash's creative soul englobes the artistic DNA of her Polish great-grandmother of noble origins, the technical know-how initially gained at a prestigious jewelry school in Italy and then in England in the workshop of a true master of enameled miniatures, Gillie Hoyte Byrom, and lastly, the precious expertise acquired from a decade spent in Switzerland designing dials for the most prestigious watch-making companies, such as Patek Philippe, Hermès, Louis Moinnet and Chopard. Marina is therefore a pot pourri of styles, manual skills, inspirations and a great deal of instinct, which have driven her to play with materials of all kinds since she was a child: metals, fabrics, ceramics and oil, acrylic and watercolor paints, drawing time and again on subjects and models from classical literature, Byzantine art or the Renaissance period. A hyper-creative world that, at the beginning of 2024, generated a new personal and entrepreneurial adventure: the creation of Varvara Collection, a jewelry brand in which to give vent to her every artistic impulse, which debuted with its first 40 limited edition pieces. «My brand features a combination of various material textures and the leitmotif of delicate floral decorations, often set in geometric shapes,» Marina explains. «Enamel, an element that, in my opinion, emits particular energy and charm, fits perfectly into this unusual mélange of sharp and soft lines. It is a complex technique, as beautiful as it is mysterious, because even the most skilled master always misses something. The process of creating an enameled miniature is a delicate balance between technical mastery and artistic intuition. Each enameller has his own secrets and rituals that help him in the creation process, and that is why, when I put my hand to a particularly complicated piece, I try to find that extra detail that will help give shape to my design. The most difficult moment is always the firing, which takes place in a kiln at 800 degrees: every time I hope for a miracle! Enameling requires patience, dedication and a deep knowledge of the craft. My other “obsessions” for the cross motif, reproposed in a thousand variations, and for craftsmanship, can also be found in Varvara. Every piece is handmade in a workshop in Switzerland, as is the packaging. The main focus is semi-precious stones: even as a child, these stones fascinated me with their mystical power and beauty and I now have the privilege of transforming them, together with gold and diamonds, into tiny works of art.» But it doesn’t end there. Marina's desire to give free rein to her creative journey is such that she is now developing a parallel project to the jewelry line which will turn Varvara into a lifestyle brand. In fact, the Varvara perfume line will soon be making its debut, true to its founder's credo: «A good brand should reveal beauty through every sensory organ.» And so it will.