Jene DeSpain | Swank
Jene DeSpain
Growing up in the creative environment of Portland, Oregon, Jené DeSpain began shaping her sense of style as a young girl. The daughter of a craftsman and an artist, her understanding of design and construction was strongly encouraged. Working next to her father in his woodshop honed her love for tools, while sketching with her mother developed her visual aesthetic. Jené moved to NYC in 1997 to enrich her artistic, urban lifestyle and worked many years as a fashion photographer, deepening her admiration for the many fine professionals and artists who work in the fashion industry. Drawn to a number of mediums to express her interest in raw material, tangible artifact, and multifaceted design, she eventually discovered a new satisfaction in jewelry design.
Completely self-taught, Jené DeSpain launched her first jewelry collection in early 2010, at the dawn of our new decade. Its immediate success led to a fast-growing, loyal clientele, and her jewelry is now carried by fine retailers in multiple cities worldwide. Working in her Brooklyn studio, Jené personally crafts each piece of jewelry by hand with a dedication to quality from materials made entirely within the United States.
With each collection, Jené broadens her exploration of design and her devotion to creating striking pieces of jewelry outside the confines of momentary trends. Cultivating a constantly evolving community of fellow designers, artists, musicians, stylists, and patrons of her work, is Jené’s greatest source of inspiration. Her collaboration with the expanse of talent in NYC and beyond connects Jené to the pulse of fashion while she creates bold, distinct jewelry for those who respond to innovative design. This love of culture is revealed in each piece of her jewelry and remains at the heart of her brand.
