"Very few days are alike in my line of work!"
Interview with Lisa Marie, Atmosphera Product Manager
For nearly three years, Lisa Marie has been Product Manager at Atmosphera, overseeing the brand’s textile and home product ranges. She helps shape each collection alongside the Head of Product, works with the design team on patterns, and collaborates closely with industrial suppliers to bring ideas to life. Here, she takes us behind the scenes of her day-to-day work
What does a typical day look like for you?
No two days are ever the same in my role! I usually spend the mornings catching up with colleagues and partners I work with regularly, starting with our partners in Asia because of the time difference. Early afternoons are often devoted to the showroom, ensuring everything is in place and perfectly presented for our sales teams and customers. The rest of the day is spent on ongoing projects that run across different departments. That said, my day-to-day varies a lot depending on the time of year. Our work follows the rhythm of the collections, with roughly a year of preparation for each launch. In a typical year, January and February are spent planning the collection that will reach customers the following February. During this period, we analyse product needs, explore styles and patterns, seek inspiration, and visit shops to stay close to the market and our customers.
Next comes drafting the product briefs, detailing requirements for suppliers—materials, finishes, and so on—to bring our ideas to life. In April, I travel to Asia to meet suppliers, review samples and negotiate collections. This is a collaborative process with the industrial buyer and the Head of Product, where every design decision is carefully balanced against the target retail price.
Once back from the trip, we transform the showroom to display the previous season’s products – almost like redesigning a shop from scratch! At the same time, the new collection continues to take shape and is finalised for purchase in early June. My final task is to brief all internal teams on the collection and the story behind it, from packaging and quality to e-commerce – everyone has a role to play.
Of JJA’s values—boldness, passion, ethics and performance—which resonates most with you, and why?
Passion, hands down. I’m responsible for around 1,500 products, and I genuinely see every single one my baby! Boldness resonates with me, too: JJA gives us the flexibility to experiment, develop new projects and take creative risks, which is invaluable in my role. Being a product manager here is also quite unique, because it’s really different from being a buyer. My focus is on product development, and I’m fortunate to work alongside colleagues who cover the entire lifecycle of our products, from creation through to distribution. It’s the perfect environment for someone in this profession.
Which aspects of your work feel the most rewarding?
Definitely the creative side – being able to tell stories that express the brand’s identity. Alongside our core ranges, I also work on capsule collections for home textiles. One example is the Tigris collection for Autumn-Winter 2025, inspired by animal prints. I loved letting my imagination run with an old manor house aesthetic – think velvets, warm tones and soft, smoky shades. Another exciting aspect is travel. Thanks to JJA, I’ve been able to visit suppliers abroad, particularly in Asia. Meeting people from very different walks of life, discovering new cultures—and doing it all in English—is an experience I find hugely rewarding, both professionally and personally.
Another exciting aspect is travel, and the opportunity JJA gives us to discover other countries, particularly in Asia. It's interesting both professionally and individually. Discovering different cultures, interacting in English with people whose daily lives are completely different from ours, it's really enriching!
