NATASHA DAHLBERG From her formative years growing up in Ibiza, Natasha Dahlberg’s designs epitomise the essence of Bohemian luxury. Absolute’s Kasia discovers more about this talented jewellery designer and her sublime hand-made pieces.
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Your beautiful creations genuinely epitomise the bohemian Ibiza essence. Tell us about growing up on the White Island? I was lucky enough to grow up in Ibiza in the late 70’s, and 80’s when it was at its wildest, most unspoilt and enchanting. It was full of colourful trailblazers from all over the world who chanced upon the island and tapped into its magic. It felt to me like my parents, and their friends were like the original cast and crew of Ibiza. They set the template for the wild full moon parties, the glamorous discos, the bohemian hippie markets. All of this against the backdrop of the intense physical beauty of the place has made me feel extremely privileged to have grown up there. How do you compare the current lifestyle on the island with your childhood days? The incredible thing about Ibiza is its resilience. One would imagine with the huge amount of traffic coming through that it would lose some of its magic but you only have to turn up on one of the beaches early in the morning or stand in a field full of almond blossom and nothing’s changed. Sadly the days of not needing much money to live on the island are over, and that makes it tough as a permanent home for many people. It’s a rich man’s game now.
How did you start and develop your jewellery business? I was working as an actress and needed another string to my bow to support myself. Luckily my parents were collectors of beautiful gems and beads, so it seemed natural to me to use these in my designs. Initially, I sold jewellery to my friends, and it sort of grew from there. I began selling in small boutiques like The Cross, then Harvey Nichols and Liberty. I did a small collection for Matthew Williamson and was lucky enough to get a loyal client base in New York, London and Ibiza
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What materials do you like to use? The natural world produces such a beautiful array of precious and semi-precious material that it’s almost impossible to choose. For me it depends on the mood of a collection; for example, I designed one recently called ‘Sunken Treasures’ where I used natural Tahitian and South sea pearls combined with antique gold charms to create a story. I enjoy taking materials like diamonds and emeralds which are often handled in a traditional way in jewellery design and making them more approachable and mixing them in unexpected ways.
The incredible thing about Ibiza is its resilience.”