Hola, Stray Dog amigos!
We have a special note from founder Jane today...
About a year ago, we connected with a company called ACDC who kindly led us through the process of redesigning and launching a new website. It was totally serendipitous when we found out that the owner of ACDC's wife was also named Jane and she had a jewelry company called Jane Win.
We instantly fell in love with the eye-catching, unique, and FUN jewelry that Jane Winchester creates. I even got to snag a protect coin and tusk pendant from their shop. They are breathtaking.
(You can grab your own JW goodies for 25% off here)
It's like Jane Win was MADE to be our Stray Dog amigo. And when we find an amigo like this, we can't keep it to ourselves.
So, drumroll please...
It's our enormous pleasure to introduce you to Jane Winchester - founder and designer of Jane Win Jewelry. Read below to learn more about how Jane Win came about and what inspires Jane in her life and business.
We are obsessed with Jane Win jewelry! What inspired you to take this path of becoming a jewelry designer and ultimately founding Jane Win?
Thank you for being obsessed. We apologize in advance; it can be a bit addictive! I have been in design and marketing for fashion for a long time...and I have always always been a jewelry collector.
The experience I had in the industry and my love of jewelry collided about 5 years ago when I had this a-ha moment...I wanted to start a company from scratch, I wanted my kids (who were all teens at the time) see me do it and be a part of it...I wanted to build something that people connected with, collected, and treasured.
What is the vision and mission that carries Jane Win as a company?
Such a great question!!! We started the company day ONE with a foundation of values that we hold really close – that I think about daily as we grow. If it’s ok I’ll just list them all because even though they are in order, together they make essence of who we are...
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We make beautiful things that embody strength and positivity.
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We are not afraid to be ourselves. We are happy, have fun and celebrate a little irreverence.
- We are humble. We embrace individuality. We treat everyone (customers, employees and vendors) with respect. We take the time to do things right.
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We run a modern, visionary business. We create and adapt innovative strategies to build a strong company that delivers a special experience to our consumers. We surpass expectations.
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We share. When the company succeeds, we share in our good fortune.
What’s the Jane Win team look like? How do you all stay grounded in your mission when things get challenging?
Our team is a group of dynamic, funny, down-to-earth people that I love working with every day. I think we are very goal oriented and we are straight shooters. We spend the time writing our yearly business plan and sales goals – and we do that as a team so we are all invested in the success. When things don’t go our way we recognize it, we talk about it and learn from it...and then we move on. You have to make mistakes – if we aren’t making mistakes then we aren’t trying enough stuff. I actually love mistakes; I love when things are a challenge – when you really have to work for it. 
Where do you call home? How does your hometown inspire your work?
We are based outside of Philadelphia and LOVE it, but we also spend a ton of time on the road. I travel for Jane Win constantly, and I travel for fun constantly. In the next 2 months I will be in New Hampshire, Vail, Italy, Dallas, Atlanta, Michigan...all over the map.
I am not sure it is my hometown that inspires me, but the people around me. People who do things their own way. People who have a unique style. People who take their Jane Win and layer it with their grandmother's charm and a piece they bought at a flea market. That is what lights me up, the mix of it all.
Your pieces are so eye-catching! The Stray Dog Team has a few different coins that we wear around the office. What is the biggest inspiration behind your classic JW pieces?
We are focused on coin jewelry with meaning. So...coins because they are double sided – more room to design! We started with the words that hold the meaning for each piece, and then build the coin around that word. Now we have so many charms and chains to layer with the coins, but it all starts with an Original Coin to mark a moment or emotion. 
Obviously we are curious about your home. What’s your decor style like?
AHHHH you are catching me at an interesting time in my life. We have 5 kids and just last week the last went off to college. So I’m in a bit of a phase where I want to run-away from our big family house and buy a little cottage with clean open lines, lots of white, pops of soft colors and a tiny back yard with beautiful plantings. That is not what I have right now 😊.
We did just build a new summer house in New Hampshire that is white pickled wood floors, open spaces and large bright artwork. Minimal in ‘things’ but what we have is eye catching. I have to tell you, I am eyeing your MIRRORS and can’t decide...the Marakesh is my current fav but I keep getting pulled to the whimsy of the KatKat.
Do you have a favorite room in your house?
Now that the kids are gone, I want to recreate the art studio that I had in a past house before we were a blended family of 5 kids (and little space to spare). I had an open room where I could keep all my art supplies out and ‘at the ready’...large pieces of watercolor paper and piles of inspiration books.
The walls were a light shell pink, the floors almost black, with a great pink turkish rug. An oversized glass top table and an orange director's chair. Easels with some of my art, but also paintings by my grandmother, my friends. Lots of light, a giant open window where I could look out onto the green garden. That was my favorite room of all time and I think I am going to have to make it a reality again.
Who is your favorite person or brand to follow on social media at the moment?
Confession time: I am a tiktok addict. And now that we are just cooking for two, I am hoarding recipes. I love @thesaladlab, @giadadelaurentiis and @themediterraneandish
What’s in the rotation for you right now (books, podcasts, movies, shows)?
I have been reading non-stop this summer and when I’m not reading I’m listening to books on Audible. I’ve read and loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...and listened to Taste by Stanley Tucci (adore him!).
Podcasts hmmm I really like the Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist and he just interviewed Gwyneth Paltrow – and I have a ton of respect for what she has built so that was a good one.
We just watched WE CRASHED about We Work and loved it – the idea of seeing this crazy growth and valuation for a company that was burning though money – the ultimate crash and burn. It was fascinating.
Wait wait before we end this interview I just want to say thank you! I am in love with your creativity and I am so honored to be on your blog 😊
Want 25% off the Jane Win store?
Get your discount here and grab some gorgeous goodies.
JW also interviewed our beloved Jane Gray-Pritchard for her blog! Read that here.
