Some of the most significant relationships in people’s lives start in unexpected ways—meeting in a coffee shop, a well-timed elevator ride, or randomly sitting together at a communal office table.
That last example is how Jenny Klatt and Stephanie Wynne Lalin found each other. Placed together in the product development section at Judith Ripka, the two coworkers became best friends.
In 2007, they founded their own jewelry brand, Jemma Wynne, with the intention of creating innovative jewelry influenced by Klatt’s background in fashion and art history and Wynne Lalin’s knowledge of design and science. That blend has proved successful, as the company has grown exponentially.
Their interests may be diverse, but they share a passion for jewelry and its craftsmanship. Wynne Lalin, originally from upstate New York, has always had a curiosity about how things are made. She double-majored in graphic design and psychology at American University. Klatt, who grew up in New Jersey as the only daughter in a family with three sons, was studying psychology, sociology, and art history at the University of Pennsylvania when she found jewelry.
Klatt had tried her hand at everything artistic, she says, even making furniture. When Klatt was a child, her mother fostered her interest in art through classes in painting and mosaics. While in college, she started her own hand-beaded jewelry business. Klatt had an internship at Judith Ripka for two summers, and after graduating in 2005 she took a full-time job at the company.
“I worked for the head of product development and was responsible for getting all first samples made and approved before they moved onto production,” Klatt says. “I spent my days working closely with our in-house factory as well as other outside vendors and learned all the ins and outs of fine jewelry-making. It was the most incredible experience, and I am so thankful that I had that opportunity.”
Wynne Lalin came to Judith Ripka through a friend, whose mother was the president of the company. Hired as a design assistant, Wynne Lalin says she learned all about the jewelry industry in those early years. “They had an in-house factory with wax carvers, stone setters, jewelers, and polishers, all overseen by a master goldsmith that taught us at every chance he got. It was an amazing experience that I will always be grateful for,” she says.
The duo’s friendship blossomed into a business partnership with their first collaboration on jewelry—delicate, open-spring wire bangles. They didn’t see bracelets like that in the marketplace so they were excited develop them, Wynne Lalin says. She drew the initial designs, and Klatt edited them until they were perfect.
“It was my entrepreneurial spirit and my deep love for creating beautiful things that led me to partner with Stephanie and start our own brand,” Klatt says. ” In the beginning, we worked on most things together, but as time progressed, we decided to divide and conquer. We still work on all creative ideas together, but Stephanie works on the day-to-day design and product development, and I focus on running the business side of things.”
Jemma Wynne‘s latest collection, Escalator, is a retro tribute to chunky gold bracelets from the 1940s, something Wynne Lalin says they’ve always loved.
“We wanted to challenge ourselves to create a collection that, much like those bracelets, symbolized beauty, movement, and progression, while also maintaining a textural and gold-heavy look,” Wynne Lalin says. “The beautifully formed steps of the links are reminiscent of the steps in an escalator. We loved the idea that an escalator is continuous and could represent constant evolution.”
Such evolution is reflected in how their relationship has deepened and they’ve grown as individuals over time. They’re not sisters, Klatt says, but they are best friends for life. The Escalator collection was years in the making, she says.
“I love looking at the pieces knowing how complex the construction is, but also that they capture that simplicity in the design elements and have that effortless fluidity to them,” says Klatt. “I also love the deeper meaning behind the pieces. They focus on the concept of elevation and the continuous evolution of the self, and that is something that resonates with me in how I try to lead my life on a daily basis.”
Top: Jenny Klatt and Stephanie Wynne Lalin are business partners and best friends, who established the Jemma Wynne brand out of their mutual love of well-crafted jewelry. (Photos courtesy of Jemma Wynne)
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