Jane Winchester Paradis on creating the sentimental brand behind her signature coin jewelry.
After two decades in fashion design and marketing, Jane Winchester Paradise decided to take a giant leap and start her own company.
Since then, “Jane Win” has become incredibly popular around the world—with fans like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Hudson. The necklaces, a nod to coin designs from the 1920’s, can be worn by themselves or, in what Jane refers to as a ‘neck mess.’ The more, the merrier!
I met Janie a few years ago, after admiring her jewelry and passing her beautiful showroom on my way to work every day. Since then, we have become dear friends, and I am so excited to share her story with you!
JK: “I love the concept of the coin…but why a ‘coin’?”
JW: “We make jewelry with meaning behind each piece. Each coin is double-sided, so there is a sketch and on the other side is the word. I feel like I can take the temperature on how people are feeling based on which coin is selling at the time. When we first launched, pre-Covid, ‘Lucky’ was our bestseller. ‘Protect,’ and ‘Hope’ also had a moment, and ‘Love’ is everyone’s go-to!”
JK: “This is truly a family business!”
JW: “Totally. Drew, my stepson helps make displays. Tiki, my daughter, models the jewelry. My husband, Doug, build my website! Everybody has been with the company since we were talking about it around the kitchen table. Now I feel like they are so proud of how far we have come.”
JK: “You had an incredible career in design and fashion marketing. What inspired you to start your own line?”
JW: “I loved my job (Senior VP) at Lilly Pulitzer, where I worked for 11 years, but I wanted to build something, to create something from scratch. I had worked for brands like Calvin Klein Cosmetics, Adrienne Vittadini and Barney’s New York, but I wanted to do something original that connected with women. It was important to me that my kids see me do this.”
JK: “You have said working at Lilly was a great gift.”
JW: “After 12 years--which is a really long time-- I saw my kids getting older. I wanted more flexibility. It was really fun building Jane Win. The first thing I did was to sketch everything, then I went down to Philadelphia’s Jewelry Row to get samples made.”
JK: “People may not realize that your Great, Great, Great, Grandfather invented the Winchester Riffle…”
JW: “I am so proud to come from a long line of entrepreneurs. I loved hearing about someone creating something and the opportunity to do the same. I really wanted to emulate that in some way. The name of my company, Jane Win, is different, but I am so proud of that entrepreneurial heritage.”
JK: “When you see someone wearing a piece you designed, how does that make you feel?”
JW: “At first, I was so overwhelmed, I kind of hid. I would never say ‘Hi! I made that!’ But I am very proud. It takes a while to build something meaningful. That’s what the company is all about—celebrating milestone moments.”
JK: “Who would you LOVE to see wear your jewelry?”
JW: “Ooooh, that’s a great question. Beyonce! Ha!”
Link to Jane Win Website: https://janewin.com/?utm_source=GoogleSearchAds&medium=BrandedSearch&utm_campaign=BrandSearch&gclid=CjwKCAjwu4WoBhBkEiwAojNdXj5CNt--xn8zAgdLVnj-J5fpwD-ledvc1mgE7boQvtPiWz9kYsKzbhoCi9cQAvD_BwE