Tuesday, February 1, 2011

History Repeating


In honor of his current exhibit that is here at the Norton Museum, we want to share a little bit of the history of Kenneth Jay Lane.
It has been almost 50 years since Kenneth Jay Lane began his career in the costume jewelry business. His career began when he was working for Christian Dior, and Roger Vivier where he designed shoes and sometimes embellished them with baubles he designed. This experimenting and creating led Kenneth to begin his own company. He quickly grew into twenty-two retail shops between the United States, Europe and England.
House of Lavande Kenneth Lane necklace. Designed for Jackie Kennedy. 
($2,498)

Kenneth's philosophy was simple. "Elegance, luxury and good taste never go out of style. I believe that every woman has the right to live up to her potential to be glamourous. I try to help her achieve that by creating affordable, beautiful jewelry that enhances her femininity." He achieved this by creating designs that were opulent and beautiful, sometimes more so than some of the fine jewelry designs of the time. One of the most famous pieces he created was the three strand pearl necklace. Worn by both Jacquline Kennedy Onassis and Barbara Bush. A classic look even today.  Every woman spanning every generation can appreciate and cherish the designs of Kenneth Jay Lane. If you are in Palm Beach this month, be sure and stop by the Norton to check out the fabulous display!