(Jane and her darling Zelda)

Can you talk a little about your background and your family? You are so creative -- is it genetic?
Thank you. I think it’s a combination of having grown up with the amazing resources of the arts and culture of New York at my fingertips and having an artistic family. I went to lots of Broadway shows as a kid, we had season tickets to American Ballet Theater, and always visited a wealth of museums. There was always singing around the piano at family gatherings, a well stocked library, and we never had a television – board games, arts and crafts, and using my imagination was a requisite. Even though my parents have owned their own business since I was 18 months old they have never strayed far from their artistic backgrounds. My mom is an oil painter, and I spent a lot of time in her studio as a kid. She always treated me as another artist and would set me up with my own easel and art supplies. My father writes poetry and is very literary. I was definitely encouraged to pursue a creative field by seeing how The Arts influenced and shaped their lifestyles.

(the lovely Lugano)

Where did you go to college, and what did you major in?
I received my B.A. from an American college in Lugano, Switzerland -- I majored in Visual and Communication Art and minored in Literature. It was an extraordinary experience to assimilate abroad and such a beautiful country to live in. There was so much history and culture to be learned about, and the thrill of hopping on a train for a day-trip to Zurich (one of my favorite cities) definitely spoiled me. Of course, Swiss Design was a strong presence in the contemporary culture, which greatly piqued my interest in Graphic Design. I met my fiancé there too, so it’s a very special place for the both of us.

(photos from Jane's travels)

Can you tell us about your day job?
I work on the Creative team for a global financial firm. Since we are a tiny team, we all wear many hats. We design marketing collateral for all of the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia. It can be frenzied at times and there are always deadlines to be met, but I have grown both professionally and personally in the role more than I could have dreamed. I have also had the good fortune to find mentors in the Senior Designers and Art Director. Going into my position I had a strong sense of my own design aesthetic, but I now have skills and experience that will prove invaluable throughout my career.

(Ms. Jane loves getting coffee with her fiancé, Scott, on weekend mornings. So sweet!)

What inspired you to start Lox Papers?
I wanted a place to archive the things I come across from day to day that inspire me and my work. While I work in graphic design, I am always finding inspiration in things from far-off places to everyday objects. I also hope to find the time to design more personal and freelance projects in the near future, and this would be a space to share my work and the process. I am quite inspired by other designers’ blogs, such as Abby Clawson Low’s HI + LOW, so that was a big influence on me as well.

(Maira Kalman illustration)

When you're fresh out of ideas, where do you turn for inspiration?
Flea markets, my margin notes and underlined passages from novels I love, design portfolios in the AIGA and Young Guns archives, Abby Clawson Low, Maira Kalman, Kate Spade, Wes Anderson, found photographs and postcards, walking around the city – the people, storefronts, architecture, fashion – it’s my greatest inspiration. I have a big, messy box where I throw paper swatches, letterpress samples, business cards and beautiful print designs that I come across – they always inspire fresh ideas.

(Jane's aunt is growing flowers in her garden in the Adirondacks especially for their wedding)

Do you know of any "hidden gem" shops/restaurants in NYC that you would like to tell us about?
I love the restaurants on my block, Clinton Street - it’s a mini foodie’s paradise. Alias makes great new-American, southern influenced food, and they have the best key lime pie. In midtown, I love the coffee and waffles on the weekend at the Cupcake Café – perfect before or after a trip to the Hell’s Kitchen flea market.

What is/are your favorite book(s)? design book(s)? magazine(s)?
The NYT is a breakfast staple – I try to keep on top of current affairs and market trends, and I love T Magazine too. I’m a fan of the New Yorker for its fiction and cartoons and New York Magazine for food reviews and goings on in the city. There are too many amazing design books out there – I love Ellen Lupton’s work, old AIGA annuals, Altitude: Contemporary Swiss Graphic Design, and a book called Never Sleep, written by two young designers about starting their own studio while keeping their Designer day jobs. I read The World According to Garp on the plane from New York to Tokyo. I think it happened to touch me at just the right time and it has remained my favorite contemporary novel. I love Faulkner, Hemingway and American Modernist writing, the poetry of W.H. Auden and Wallace Stevens. The most beautiful prose I have ever read is Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past. I took a Proust class in college where we read every volume – I have underlined countless passages that I look back to from time to time and continue to be amazed at their beauty.

What artist/bands/genre of music do you like?
Folk inspired, Josh Ritter, Wilco, The Jayhawks… Dylan of course. Jazz reminds me of home – Django Rhinehart, big band music, Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald. I adore a program called The Big Broadcast on WFUV Sunday nights. It plays the greatest old music – “for the old and the old at heart.” For my subway commutes I listen to more Belle and Sebastian type tunes.

How would you describe your style? Who are your style icons?
My style’s part boarding school, part west village – classic with a speck of bohemian. My formative years seemed to have influenced my style sense more than I realize. I love vintage hand-me-downs and heirloom pieces – for the past several months I’ve been using my mom’s old-brown-leather Prada doctor’s bag with a broken zipper and holes in the lining – but I get compliments on it every day! It’s items like this that I cherish. It’s cliché, but Audrey’s ballet flats, slacks and oxford shirts are the epitome of style to me.

Tell me-- what are you going to be wearing this spring?
I’m loving the feminine ruffles and floral trend at J. Crew and bold accessories from Kate Spade. I always appreciate a new twist on the classics – such as patent leather topsiders and pink nautical boat-neck tops too.

(The Guggenheim)

Who is your favorite artist? Favorite museum?
The Guggenheim in Venice and the Frick collection – I love the feeling of stepping into what was once a private residence, there is such a vicarious allure. For nostalgia’s sake, the Natural History Museum. As for artists, I adore color! Munch and Kirchner, Die Brücke and Fauvism, Matisse.

(Jane's save the dates - her mom did them in watercolor!
"And of course I used the king and queen of hearts stamps on all the envelopes," she says)

What are some of your long-term and short-term goals?
Short term – planning my wedding for Labor Day weekend, and making it through the humidity of another New York summer.
Long term – there are too many goals to list, but under “dreams” would be a country house on the Maine coast. I would also love to have my own “graphic design atelier” – a full service, compact studio where I could bring my dog to work. Hopefully these are both in my future.