Janie Kruse Garnett

Janie Kruse Garnett says that inspiration comes to her like a thunderclap. “Like the clues at the 45-minute mark in detective television shows,” she laughs. For example, she’ll see a doorway in Rome, and six months later, recreate the same doorway on the handle of a houseware object she’s designing. Born and raised in New York, Garnett studied art history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, and then design at Central Saint Martins in London. She first began designing under her own label in 2013. She wanted to create substantial jewelry for strong women. “I was having issues finding what I myself wanted to buy, so I set out to make it on my own,” she says. Her studio has since grown to include home goods, silk scarves and bed linens, among other beautiful objects. Working in materials including gold, silver, brass, gemstones and percale, Garnett references everything from inscriptions at the Roman Forum to Sicilian cypress trees in her designs. What emerges are modern classics — items that will be passed down through generations, and one day have the same cache as watches by Cartier, earclips by Belperron and paintings by Italian masters.