🌸 We Are OLTEM: Mujeres, Mamás, Diseñadoras y Más ✨
#OLTEM

Luisa David, designer  and artisan. Tatiana Toro Founder of Oltem & designer.

Hey there, welcome (or welcome back) to our story 💛
We are so many things — women, mothers, designers, first-gen immigrant Colombianas 🇨🇴 — and today, we're opening up about how it all started, the magic of traditional Okamas, and the incredible Indigenous women behind our jewelry.

Tatiana and daughters in Dumbo Brooklyn 

🍼 How It All Began — From Brooklyn With Love

Hi! I’m Tatiana, the founder of OLTEM. OLTEM was born in the tiniest Brooklyn apartment, over cafecito ☕ and chisme with my cousin Laura. I was pregnant (again!), my toddler wasn’t even potty trained yet 🙃, and I knew I needed to find a way to create income that felt meaningful.

Laura had just returned from traveling through Colombia for her work in environmental sustainability when she met an Indigenous artisan family selling gorgeous handmade necklaces — traditional Okamas.

And just like that… something clicked.
✨ We knew we had to help bring visibility to these designs and the communities behind them.

With only $200, we opened an Etsy shop called “OLT” — which later became the brand you know today: OLTEM LLC.

Laura Valentina, co- founder of Oltem with Otilia.

🧵 Meet Otilia: Our First Artisan Partner

During a trip to Risaralda, Laura met Otilia, an Embera mother and head of household. She was the very first artisan we ever worked with. 🌱

From Otilia, we learned that Okamas are not just accessories — they’re ancestral pieces of identity, passed from generation to generation. Grandmothers teach mothers who teach daughters, and so the tradition lives on. 🧡

Okama Gema in emeralds ✨ 

📿 What is an Okama, Really?

The word “Okama” means "path on the neck" in the Embera Bedea language.
🌎 It’s worn with deep symbolism — the size and intricacy of the design reflects the wearer’s role in the community.

👧 Small Okamas: for young girls and women
👩 Large, intricate Okamas: for mothers and leaders

Okamas are a form of resistance, preserving Indigenous identity through generations of colonization. You’ll find similar styles across Latin America, Africa, and even Euro-Asia — though they may have different names.

💚 Okama Gema you see in the photos above is a rare Okama, as it includes over 150 real raw emerald beads. 

Available very soon, click this LINK ⬅️ to find out as soon as it drops.

Alicia Embera woman, artisan and leader of her indigenous cultural group. 

🌹 Alicia: A True Matriarch of Tradition

For over 4 years, we’ve worked with Alicia, an Indigenous Embera woman, mother, grandmother, and leader in her community. Her and her daughters handcraft some of our most iconic designs — including Okamas Oro and select Okamas Vida.

Each piece from Alicia’s workshop is a living artifact — honoring the past, while empowering the future. 💫
Your purchase directly supports Alicia and her family — and keeps this tradition alive.

Alicia and her beautiful family are responsible for the creation of the AMAZING Okamas Oro shown belo, our top Sellers 🤩. Click here to see all OKAMAS ORO 

Okamas Oro In oro and Turquesa colors.

Luisa David, business owner, mother, designer and artisan.

🌺 Luisa: Tradition Meets Innovation

Luisa is another powerhouse — a mother, artisan, and entrepreneur leading a team of weavers in Medellín. 💼
We’ve worked together for over 5 years, and thanks to Luisa, we’ve been able to blend traditional Okama craftsmanship with contemporary design.

Think:
🦋 Butterflies,
🌸 Multitudes of flowers,
🌈 Metallic finishes, and more.

This collaboration gave life to our bestselling designs:
✨ Okamas Gemas, Raíz Chokers, Bagabagas Mariposas and more to come!

💬 Let’s Talk Cultural Appropriation🚨

We’ve noticed that interest in traditional Okamas has decreased in part due to fear around cultural appropriation 😢.
We’ll be diving deeper into this topic in future blog posts — because celebrating Indigenous art respectfully is important, and we believe in educating, not gatekeeping.

💭 What are your thoughts on this? Let’s start a conversation!

🎉 COMING SOON
New collections are on the way — including... EMERALDS 👀✨
Want to be the first to know? Subscribe to our newsletter 💌 for sneak peeks, blog drops, and behind-the-scenes magic.

📣 Tell Us What You Thought!
Did you love learning about Otilia, Alicia, and Luisa?
Which Okama would you love to wear?

Drop a comment, share with a friend, and help us keep these stories alive. 💬

Supporting OLTEM is supporting all of us.
Gracias from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️