Lisa Jenks

Fashion Designer; Product/Industrial Designer; Jewelry Designer / United States / Lisa Jenks

www.lisajenks.com

When Lisa Jenks left a small school in Ohio and moved to New York City to study fashion design at Parsons School of Design, she began a foray into the big city and discovered the world of art, fashion, jewelry, and architecture. The loft where she started, a former spring factory in the Flatiron District of New York, was Jenks’s first atelier; it was the creative hub where she formulated her ideas. Moving away from fashion design toward the sculptural realm of jewelry in the late 1980s, she started her own company. Her sterling silver pieces hit the scene and were considered original, dramatic, and tactile.

For over 25 years, Jenks has been recognized as one of the most distinctive designers of contemporary sterling silver jewelry. She draws much of her inspiration from New York City as well as from world history and a wide range of cultural traditions—carrying echoes of these themes to create her work. There are connections to the towering angular forms of Deco skyscrapers, the rhythmic patterns of Art Nouveau, and the modernist elements of the Bauhaus School. Cross-cultural influences are referenced too.

Jenks expanded from jewelry to small leather goods, home accessories, tableware, and to the highly lauded packaging created for Origins beauty and skin care. After several years spent expanding her business, she has once again re-focused on what inspires her most: jewelry.

All of Lisa Jenks’s jewelry pieces are handcrafted and made in New York City. Known for her flawless craftsmanship and matte sterling finish, Jenks is credited with giving sterling silver its valued place in jewelry design and in creating collections that are imbued with intelligence and innovation.

Jenks says, “Many of my clients tend to collect pieces that reflect their own personal style; the idea is to create jewelry that is inventive, wearable, and treasured. I hope my pieces become their future classics.”

Included in her plan for 2012 is the introduction of limited-edition collections. Her designs will combine sterling silver with unique gemstones in daring designs that pair sophistication with exotic influences.

Jenks is a proud member of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and has been honored with many awards; most notably, Jewelry Designer of the Year (2006) by the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA), and she was also a finalist in the International DeBeers Diamond Jewelry Design awards. The Silver Institute recently selected her as “International Designer of Distinction.” She resides in Brooklyn with her husband Chris, an award-winning photographer, and their two children, Sam and May.

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