![]() ![]() She posted a video of one of her days out, an excursion to Longjing Tea Plantation, in which she walks through the fields collecting tea leaves, and it feels like a world completely separate from the rumble and chaos of Canal Street. She returned to Hangzhou, spending her days with family. New Top recently underwent a remodeling, which gave Jane a rare opportunity for a much deserved vacation. “It feels amazing,” she says, her voice faint with a touch of disbelief. The work she’s done at the store has linked her to the city’s most fashionable, like stylist Mellany Sanchez, and even led her to walk the runway for her client-turned-friend Kim Shui at this year’s New York Fashion Week. Jane’s happiness may be forever linked to how her customers feel, but fortunately, it’s rare to leave New Top feeling anything but joy. ![]() When come, I want them to be happy.” Before her career at New Top, Jane was drawn to music and the arts, and now feels content knowing her two children - a daughter who is a cellist and pianist at LaGuardia High School and a son who is studying to be a game designer - are able to follow their passions so seriously. Her dedication to her craft has its cost. They choose something totally different from artists.” “Is he classic and very gentle, or a Supreme guy?” she tells me, breaking down an example of her quick-yet-effective process. When Jane meets a new client, she takes a second to understand what they’re about, observing their style, rhythm, and demeanor. Yes, New Top is a business that needs to make rent, but for Jane the bottom line doesn’t compare to her customers feeling cared for. Her intuition shines its brightest here as Jane works closely with each customer to help find an existing piece or to create a custom order. Something Jane hears on a regular basis is, “How did you know?” She’s referring to the awe she witnesses from her customers, who typically come in with a vague idea of what they want, and leave with a piece of jewelry - and an experience - that they’ll keep for life. That’s how I do business.” On a recent trip into the store, I watch Jane help two sharply dressed girls visiting from Germany and within minutes they giddily leave with a gold eagle pendant - one of the girls had been to New Top before during a previous visit and her friends loved her jewelry so much, they placed orders with her upon her return to the city. If they come here, I should take care of them. “Why do they choose New Top Jewelry? So many stores. She talks about young men who come to her to get their first, real gold chains, college-aged girls on a budget looking for something unique. ![]() There’s an unshakable maternal essence about her, one that’s confirmed with each happy customer story she tells. In person, Jane is tender with big, soft curls, an immaculate, barely-there glitter smokey eye, and a voice that registers just above a whisper. Jewelry in NYC is a competitive business where gut feelings rule supreme, and at New Top, Jane is the gold standard. ![]() Playful, eye-catching rose pendants, marijuana leaf charms, and bamboo-detailed hoops, along with classic cuban link chains and signet rings reflect onto a mirrored hallway. It’s a narrow store, gilded from top to bottom with gold pieces in varying karats, and close enough to the Canal Street JMZ subway stop that the store faintly rattles with the passing of each train. For the past 17 years, Jane has been working at New Top Jewelry, a small jewelry store with a staff you can count on one hand, stationed directly in the bustle of Chinatown’s jewelry district. Her intuition is keen - something she partly attributes to being born under the empath water sign, Cancer - and it’s served her well. From an early age, Jane was taught to recognize how people moved their faces, how their bodies shifted, and where their eyes looked. When Jane Shuai was a young girl in Hangzhou, China, her parents taught her a valuable lesson in reading other people’s emotions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |