;)
;)
Wednesday
09Jan
Janis Savitt Flies Solo
January 9, 2008
NEW YORK) Janis Savitt has become incorporated.As the designer for her jewelry line M+J Savitt, the Manhattan native, along with her sisters Michelle and Wynne, built a successful accessories company by bringing together fine jewelry and fashion based on the premise that simplicity is key, applying the notion that jewelry should be “wearable, luxurious, feminine, timeless, and new-looking.” Nearly four decades later, Savitt has made the decision to branch off on her own, forming an independent jewelry company now known as Janice by Janice Savitt.
“I wanted to expand and do all kinds of different things,” Savitt explained. “I want to be my own boss. I need to shake things up to make things happen. It’s in one way very scary but in another very exciting.”
M+J Savitt, which was born out of Savitt’s bedroom when she was still living at home with her parents while attending college, will continue to exist as a brand. One sister, Michelle, recently moved to California and the other, Wynne, remains New York-based. Savitt has been intimately bonded with the jewelry and fashion industry since high school, when she started out fabricating pieces for Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier.
Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Chaiken, Geoffrey Beene, and Stephen Sprouse (her former neighbor in the same Midtown building they lived in at the time) have all collaborated with Savitt on their runway jewelry. Savitt continues to design the jewelry that Michael Kors shows on his runway twice a year, and has done so for nearly half a dozen years. The savvy and often outspoken jeweler built a million-dollar business thanks to her partnership with Ralph Lauren, who charged her with designing all the runway jewelry for his Collection shows, which were then subsequently featured lavishly in his advertisements and in his stores worldwide. Their relationship has been put on what Savitt described as a “temporary hold” following the March announcement that Polo Ralph Lauren had joined forces with Compagnie Financière Richemont to form the Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co., S.A.R.L., a 50-50 joint venture based in Switzerland. Under the agreement, the firm designs, creates, and distributes luxury watches and fine jewelry under the Polo and Ralph Lauren brands.
“It’s going to be good for me to have control about everything,” said Savitt, who plans to work on her first solo collection while she pursues collaborating with other brands in addition to Kors. “I want people to have a defined idea of what Janis Savitt is.” Savitt said she is open to the prospect of creating a QVC capsule collection or working with a mass retailer like Kohl’s or Target. “In this day and age it doesn’t hurt to do these sorts of things at all—just as long as the product comes out looking beautiful,” she said. “Inside out, it has to look good. I have a lot of confidence in my talent.”
A formal collection is still in the works, but Savitt, a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America whose work has garnered her more than two dozen De Beer’s Diamonds International Awards—including the prestigious COTY Award—said she wants to focus on diamond pieces as well as a precious collection priced from $500 to $20,000—“just anything I think will be very beautiful,” she said. The initial collection will be kept small because she’s aiming to have her first prototypes available to show by March to press and buyers, the latter of which includes current M + J Savitt retailers Henri Bendel, Barneys New York, and Saks Fifth Avenue. “The essence of it is me, but I don’t want to do the same thing as before,” Savitt emphasized. “I don’t want to leave just to do a continuation. I just want it to be very beautiful, very special pieces.” Savitt added that she also wants to eventually delve into the world of men’s jewelry. “It’s something I feel is needed badly,” she said. “There’s nothing memorable out there.”
The time Savitt has afforded herself in starting her own business comes with its pros and cons. While admittedly it’s difficult to launch a brand in an ever-increasingly competitive market, Savitt said she’s looking forward to being able to focus on her private clientele that she sells to, which has included Jennifer Garner, Debra Messing, and Uma Thurman.
“I finally feel like I’m open to a whole world of new possibilities,” Savitt reaffirmed.
JIM SHI
“I wanted to expand and do all kinds of different things,” Savitt explained. “I want to be my own boss. I need to shake things up to make things happen. It’s in one way very scary but in another very exciting.”
M+J Savitt, which was born out of Savitt’s bedroom when she was still living at home with her parents while attending college, will continue to exist as a brand. One sister, Michelle, recently moved to California and the other, Wynne, remains New York-based. Savitt has been intimately bonded with the jewelry and fashion industry since high school, when she started out fabricating pieces for Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier.
Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Chaiken, Geoffrey Beene, and Stephen Sprouse (her former neighbor in the same Midtown building they lived in at the time) have all collaborated with Savitt on their runway jewelry. Savitt continues to design the jewelry that Michael Kors shows on his runway twice a year, and has done so for nearly half a dozen years. The savvy and often outspoken jeweler built a million-dollar business thanks to her partnership with Ralph Lauren, who charged her with designing all the runway jewelry for his Collection shows, which were then subsequently featured lavishly in his advertisements and in his stores worldwide. Their relationship has been put on what Savitt described as a “temporary hold” following the March announcement that Polo Ralph Lauren had joined forces with Compagnie Financière Richemont to form the Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co., S.A.R.L., a 50-50 joint venture based in Switzerland. Under the agreement, the firm designs, creates, and distributes luxury watches and fine jewelry under the Polo and Ralph Lauren brands.
“It’s going to be good for me to have control about everything,” said Savitt, who plans to work on her first solo collection while she pursues collaborating with other brands in addition to Kors. “I want people to have a defined idea of what Janis Savitt is.” Savitt said she is open to the prospect of creating a QVC capsule collection or working with a mass retailer like Kohl’s or Target. “In this day and age it doesn’t hurt to do these sorts of things at all—just as long as the product comes out looking beautiful,” she said. “Inside out, it has to look good. I have a lot of confidence in my talent.”
A formal collection is still in the works, but Savitt, a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America whose work has garnered her more than two dozen De Beer’s Diamonds International Awards—including the prestigious COTY Award—said she wants to focus on diamond pieces as well as a precious collection priced from $500 to $20,000—“just anything I think will be very beautiful,” she said. The initial collection will be kept small because she’s aiming to have her first prototypes available to show by March to press and buyers, the latter of which includes current M + J Savitt retailers Henri Bendel, Barneys New York, and Saks Fifth Avenue. “The essence of it is me, but I don’t want to do the same thing as before,” Savitt emphasized. “I don’t want to leave just to do a continuation. I just want it to be very beautiful, very special pieces.” Savitt added that she also wants to eventually delve into the world of men’s jewelry. “It’s something I feel is needed badly,” she said. “There’s nothing memorable out there.”
The time Savitt has afforded herself in starting her own business comes with its pros and cons. While admittedly it’s difficult to launch a brand in an ever-increasingly competitive market, Savitt said she’s looking forward to being able to focus on her private clientele that she sells to, which has included Jennifer Garner, Debra Messing, and Uma Thurman.
“I finally feel like I’m open to a whole world of new possibilities,” Savitt reaffirmed.
JIM SHI
Reader Comments