I met Wade Jensen and Moire Conroy at a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan for this story. Despite the numerous times I’ve met, you instantly get a sense of ease when you meet this pair. Perhaps it’s their laid-back style and attitude, whatever it is, their attitude and style clearly transcend into their design and creative process. I’ve been fortunate to see this duo nurture their jewelry collection from the beginning, and after months, I’m still amazed at the growth and attention they have dedicated into their craft.
After years of shared classes, honing and building their creative skills at The Art Institute of Chicago, Wade and Moire launched Jensen & Conroy in 2009. Their collection utilizes unusual found materials encased in various yarns and threads, giving it a cocoon like illusion. Their collection also includes large origami like bib necklaces and cuffs, folded into soft, avant-garde like flower buds, intertwined with brass chains. Some of their simpler pieces include, brass cuffs encased in an array of rich muted colored yarns, and various strands of necklaces with found objects encased in their signature yarn technique. Their collection like the times is constantly on an evolutionary ride, but still retain a rustic, artisanal quality to them. Despite some of the scale of the pieces, they are easy to wear and light. Often times you’re wondering if it’s part of the top or a necklace. They can be worn on it’s own, but when wearing multiples, it redefines the neckline adding a soft sculptural element to ones body. It’s a conversational piece, but a conversation you want to over hear and listen to. The collection is not for the soft-hearted, but someone who wants to make a statement without being over the top. Going forth, this duo plans to include scarves, headpieces, and add intricate rings to their already intricate family of necklaces and cuffs. They see their jewelry as vehicles to tell a story, whether it’s momento’s of their own or a clients, it’s personal and intimate.
As Wade and Moire continue to build their collection, their creative environment certainly aids to fuel this duo’s passion. Working out of their studio in Willamsburg, the L train often provides an eclectic display of people, not to mention the neighborhood itself. Wade and Moire find their community nurturing and inspiring. Like a blade of grass growing in the seams of concrete, Jensen & Conroy can be that blade between the seams of this concrete city.
article by J Y Kim
