Nest Jewelry Designs (PHOTO BY HILLARY HIRSCHFELD/SHIFT MAGAZINE)
Growing up in Oklahoma, Janette Wilkinson and Jana Erwin didn’t have very much exposure to the glamorous world of fashion. Despite this fact, the sisters still shared a keen eye for style and fashion. Throughout their childhood the girls enjoyed creating their own fabrics and making their own clothes; but, unlike New York or Los Angeles, “the Sooner State” tends to fall short on opportunities for inspiring fashionistas. However, while they tried a few different career paths before fashion’s ultimate calling, the sisters unexpectedly, yet eagerly, stumbled into one of fashion’s greatest facets: jewelry design.
From childhood hobbyists to designer divas
Today, Wilkinson, 41, and Erwin, 37, are the designers behind the Dallas-based company Nest Jewelry. With their line currently being sold in stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Stanley Korshak, the sisters have transformed their childhood hobby into a successful career and trendy jewelry brand. Staying true to the skills they practiced at an early age, Nest Jewelry prospers through “repurposing,” a passion taught to the girls by their grandmother and consisting of “taking something old and giving it new life,” as stated on the Nest Jewelry website. Erwin says, “I can honestly say I am not inspired by any certain thing. It is actually more of an aesthetic that just seems to live inside me.”
Although Nest Jewelry has been in full operation for seven years now, Wilkinson still feels as though this is all new to her. Prior to Nest, Wilkinson worked as an electrical engineer in the semi-conductor industry for 10 years – a clearly different world than that of fashion. “I was completely covered – I wore the whole bunny suit, and you couldn’t wear make-up and you couldn’t wear jewelry, so it’s really a completely different thing,” says Wilkinson. After she worked in both Austin and Orlando (in a male-dominated industry), her plant was shut down and her husband then got a job in Dallas – where Wilkinson decided to take a break from engineering and, with that, a whole new world opened up – this one primarily made up of women.
Opportunity’s foot in the door
Once comfortable in Dallas, Wilkinson began making her own jewelry for fun. “I thought of this piece I really wanted to wear,” she explains. “It was a red coral necklace, back when that trend had first started.” She continued to learn more about finding stones and constructing the jewelry, and it didn’t take long for Wilkinson’s statement pieces to gain attention from one of fashion’s most influential hubs: Neiman Marcus.
“Within a few weeks of making those first pieces, I had gotten a business card from the director of trends and forecasting at Neiman Marcus,” says Wilkinson. “That’s when I felt like it was just meant to be.” No plan and no collection – just a single piece Wilkinson gave to a friend, who happened to wear the piece in front of another friend, who happened to love Wilkinson’s piece and, consequentially, be her foot in the exhilarating doors of fashion.
“So the next thing you know, I have a meeting with Neiman’s, and we’re just trying to scramble and act like we really have a line” says the designer. However, at that point there was not even a brand name attached to the pieces.
Luckily for the sisters, before the unexpected meeting with Nieman Marcus came about, they had begun the works of a baby bedding company called Nest, which went along with Erwin’s background in interior design. The company was in place, but not quite off the ground, with only its initial samples produced up to that point.
“When we got the call from Neimans, we needed a name, a logo, and a real business,” recalls Wilkinson. “So all of the sudden, Nest was there and we needed it. So the line became Nest.”
It was a serendipitous choice, but Nest ended up being the perfect expression of the brand. According to the Nest Jewelry website, the mission of the company is that “Birds can make hundreds of trips collecting materials to build their nest. Nest collects natural stones, metals, leathers, and vintage finds from around the world bringing them back home to the U.S. where all our pieces are designed and handcrafted.”
Since meeting with Neiman Marcus, Nest has been actively in business and continues to grow exponentially every day. “It’s hard because it wasn’t really like we had a vision and we went there,” admits Wilkinson. “We’re just kind of adapting to what’s happening, so we try to be proactive and things are just always changing.”
Separated but always in sync
Another change the sisters were forced to adapt to since being in business together was working long distance. Wilkinson works out of Dallas, and Erwin now works out of Houston, but prior to that, she was in Scotland. This has forced the sisters to become more tech savvy – an area that Erwin confesses “is not a favorite.” However, she also adds that, ” luckily the creative ideas come no matter where you are, so as long as I can do my sketches, scan and email them…we are in business!”
The sisters share most of the work. They both design as well as conduct the business; though, Wilkinson does more of the design while Erwin handles most of the business end. “Janette and I have always been very close,” says Erwin. “As our lives get busy with our own families, kids and such, it is nice to have something that brings us together.” Although the company is small – with Wilkinson plus three employees in Dallas, and Erwin plus two employees in Houston – Nest is in high demand. This means they often turn down retailers in order to stay focused on their main customers. “Here in Dallas, we love being at Stanley Korshak – that’s our store and our focus,” says Wilkinson.
“They are open to suggestions and always evolving their designs,” says Lauren Lunsford, associate buyer for accessories at Stanley Korshak. “They continue to revamp classic pieces and create completely new designs without branching too far away from design aesthetic.”
Natural ingredients
Signature pieces of Nest are often made of horn and natural stones. Erwin says, “I am obsessed with natural, organic materials in every aspect of my life. To take these materials and juxtapose the natural elegance with a super sleek contemporary design I just think is really cool; they won’t go out of fashion, and are still on trend.”
Still humbled by the company’s success, the sisters remain excited about their accomplishments and are eager for the future. “I remember the very first time we had the cover of one of the Neiman’s catalogs, and that’s when I was like, ‘OK, this is real,'” says Wilkinson.
At the end of the day, however, Wilkinson and Erwin are inspired and motivated by their customers – a wide range of customers, that is. The Nest shopper ranges from the younger contemporary customer all the way up to the sophisticated luncheon ladies. This allows more freedom for design and lends an exciting aspect to the job. Wilkinson says, “We don’t have just this one small person in mind. We have more fun and make more designs.”
Erwin adds, “When I see someone wearing our pieces and it makes them feel great, it
motivates me to keep doing what I am doing. If ever I get in a rut for wondering why I do this I realize I need to get out of my office and go see the customers. The stories they tell me of how our jewelry makes them feel beautiful, powerful, sexy, bold…. it just never gets old. Who knew jewelry could change someone’s life, but I hear it over and over again. It is really gratifying.”
