Today in New York: Jane Pierce

Jane Pierce is an artist and upcycler who spins beauty and purpose into reclaimed objects.

Through her zJayne brand, a line of repurposed and uber cute accessories, Jane breathes new life into the mundane to create everything from reusable grocery bags and household items to personalized jewelry and art cards.

:: Why and when did you start zJayne? Several years ago, on an artistic whim, I decided to see if the recycled art I was creating was of interest to the public and began listing items online for purchase. One product line led to another and ideas kept coming and now I am pleased to share all aspects of my wares.

:: Where do you get your inspiration from? It has always been inspiring to me to reuse materials that are already in abundance. Whether it be broken jewelry, t -shirts, beach glass, the materials available to use for design are often right in front of us.

:: Who is your ideal buyer? I’ve often thought I’d like to hear this from the buyers themselves. Because the majority of my sales are online, I never really see my buyers in person. I believe they are earthy, fun, all ages, artsy, hippie, eco conscious and want to begin to make a difference and are looking for ways to incorporate functional recycled products into their lives.

:: What is your favorite New York place? Green Depot, which carries environmental living and building products. ALSO, outside the window of the MSNBC Today show! I notice all the people waving and enjoying the City. Every single day they find their way to the outside concerts, pizza and coffee shops. Daily enjoying downtown, love that!

:: Do you think New York can still be considered the place-to-be for young creatives? Absolutely. My limited experience with New York and others who are drawn to the bustle and style there is that when it New York gets in you, you get into New York.

:: Where do you shop in NYC? I do most of my shopping online, and often cross paths with exciting online New York based shops through the handmade website Etsy.com and you can do a local search to find any City, including my own, Cleveland, Ohio.

:: If I say Italy, you say…? Plane ticket, say when!

Francesca Masoero
Francesca Masoero non è la campionessa di canottaggio che appare se digitate il suo nome su Google. È l’altra, la multitasker. Ha un (in)utile dottorato in cinema e marketing; racconta in modo non convenzionale e creativo New York, Torino e Bologna su NUOK e scrive di eventi, lifestyle e cultura per Lookout Magazine; si occupa di marketing, comunicazione, pr e web 2.0 tra Torino (la sua città natale) e New York (la sua città ideale). In più, a volte fa la stylist e a volte la cool hunter. È creativa, ma pignolissima. Sembra zen, ma è perennemente sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi. La salvano le piccole cose della (sua) vita: il rock’n’roll, la pasta al pesto, internet e il suo nuovo bellissimo frigorifero da 300 litri, pieno di quello che il suo fidanzato chiama “cibo da conigli”.