The most famous American costume jewelry designer of the 20th century, Kenneth Jay Lane (1932 – 2017) became a legend even during his lifetime. He created masterpieces of costume jewelry for a wide range of audiences: from royalty, presidential wives, and socialites to ordinary fashionistas.

His bracelets, brooches, and earrings were worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, the Duchess of Windsor, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. During his 55-year career in fashion, Ken Lane, dubbed the “King of Costume Jewelry,” received numerous awards.

He received a brilliant education, including the Providence School of Design. This was complemented by his talent and natural aristocracy. These were the three main ingredients that made his name legendary in the worlds of design and fashion.

Lane began his career in the art department at Vogue and also collaborated with such renowned fashion houses as Delman, Christian Dior, and Scassi. Incidentally, it was Arnold Scaasi who first suggested Kenneth switch entirely to jewelry design, asking him to design earrings to match the decorative buttons on one of his brand’s shoes.

Instant Success

In 1963, Kenneth Jay Lane opened his own company, and his jewelry designs quickly became a hit. The first batch of jewelry was an instant success, selling out completely at Saks Fifth Avenue within six hours.

The talented designer worked in a wide variety of styles—ethnic, animalistic, Rococo and Baroque, classical and medieval, Renaissance, Art Deco, and Asian motifs. His signature style is striking and unpredictable, yet always perfectly elegant.

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