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April 26, 2023

Brand Spotlight: Jane Taylor

D
esigner Jane Taylor’s love for jewelry and design began at a young age. Ingratiated into the passion for jewelry from her grandmother, and for antiquities from her father, Jane began designing jewelry when she was still in elementary school. At 19, she opted to drop out of art school and instead pursued her passion in New York City’s storied Diamond District.

In fact, the company's slogan at the time was “Totally Everyday,” a tagline that still holds true as a descriptor of the brand’s pieces today.

On “the street,” as industry insiders refer to it, Jane held many jobs, including production assistant, stone buyer, designer, account executive and bench jeweler. This foundation of knowledge of the inner workings of the trade gave her firm footing when she decided to launch her eponymous collection.

In 1994, Jane, a single mom of daughter Cleo, began her business out of her Manhattan apartment, where she showcased the archetypal characteristics of an iconic entrepreneurial boss babe. While the late ‘80’s and early 90’s celebrated big hair, big, gold jewelry and big eyeshadow, Jane’s tastes skewed more towards clean lines and geometric shapes, resulting in jewelry that was both meaningful and wearable. In fact, the company’s slogan at the time was “Totally Everyday,” a tagline that still holds true as a descriptor of the brand’s pieces today.

In those first years, Jane’s work garnered many prestigious accolades and acknowledgements, and she became well-known for her signature chubby bezels, which continues to be a prominent silhouette in her collections. “The one common theme in my work is a sculptural symmetry, which looks easy and simplistic, but isn’t at all,” Jane explains “I love taking classic shapes and seeing what playful ways I can make them interesting and juicy.”

Jane’s collections evoke a sense of joy and whimsy which is buttressed by the unexpected color combinations in her pieces. And while the jewelry embodies a fun-loving sensibility, the quality of craftsmanship and materials used are uncompromising, with each stone utilized in her prolific collections hand-selected and louped by Jane herself.

In 2010, Jane was joined in the company by her daughter, Cleo Zancope. Jane and Cleo often remark on the “Yin Yang” nature of their relationship, noting their respective strengths and weaknesses complement one another, inspiring each to be the best version of themselves.

Cleo Zancope

Literally born into the business, Cleo’s passion for jewelry in general and her mother’s work in particular is unprecedented. While embracing the intrinsic levity of the brand’s guiding ethos, Cleo is also keen to acknowledge the sentimentality inherent in the art form, and she effectively conveys this in the creative expression of the brand’s voice. Spearheading all aspects of communication for the brand, Cleo is a staunch advocate of Jane’s creative output, and the obvious love and adoration between the two women can be felt in their imaginative designs.

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