J. Fleet Designs

About J. Fleet Designs

COMPANY HISTORY

J. Fleet Designs was established by Emily Rubin Persons in 1995. While Emily lived and traveled in Asia for six years, she discovered the beautiful lacquerware products of Vietnam. She was captivated by this amazing, ancient handicraft that the local people were still producing using the same artisan techniques that their ancestors had used for centuries. The opportunity to bring an art that was both beautiful and functional from Asia to America and other western markets was too irresistible for her to pass up. She decided to marry the ancient art of lacquerware, perfected over centuries, to her own updated designs and, in 1995, J. Fleet Designs received its first order.

ANCIENT TECHNIQUE AND UNIQUE BEAUTY

What sets J. Fleet Designs apart from other Asian lacquerware producers is our ability to create luxurious colors and beautiful designs through painstaking attention to detail. Our process, based on ancient technique, is all done by hand. Nothing is mass produced or machine-made. Each piece has 15-20 coats of lacquer and is created through 100 days of patience and hard work by talented, dedicated artists. Our luxurious colors and designs are made by layering foils and hand-mixed lacquer colors. We also use the traditional arts of mother-of-pearl inlay, burning and inlaying cracked eggshell. The rich variations in color and texture that occur in creating our lacquerware make each piece uniquely beautiful and a treasure to own.

EXCLUSIVE DESIGNS AND HIGH STANDARDS

While traditional techniques are used to create our pieces, we work with contemporary designers who create updated, extraordinary shapes and patterns that are exclusive to J. Fleet Designs. We also offer custom, one-of-a-kind designs. In order to execute these designs at the highest level of quality, J. Fleet Designs has sought out only the best Vietnamese lacquerware artisan workshops. The limited number of artisans we work with ensures that our collections always meet the high quality standards of our customers. Our defect rate is less than one-half of a single percent and many of our client relationships began from the establishment of the company. We relentlessly pursue perfection in product quality and customer service.

INSPIRATION AND COLORS

J. Fleet Designs is committed to remaining true to the art and history of lacquer. Since lacquer is a natural product, only colors found in nature truly work well. We do not produce trendy colors because this deviates from the true nature of lacquer. Black is the traditional foundation color of lacquer and that's why it is found on all our pieces.  In terms of design inspiration, the Sunflowers Collections is a beautiful example of how our pieces are inspired by nature. While driving in the hills during a lovely October day, Emily was awestruck by the gorgeous fall colors of the autumn trees. We created a collection that captured the richness and fire of these leaves. The Sunflower Collection is a perfect example of contemporary design married to the ancient craft.

OUR TEAM

Emily Rubin Persons, Founder and President, created J. Fleet Designs in 1995 after living and traveling in Asia for six years. While there, she fell in love with Vietnamese lacquerware and thought that this ancient art, married with contemporary designs, could be something new and exciting for the western markets. Before starting J. Fleet, Emily worked for many different companies from an umbrella manufacturer to fur coat retail to Avon Products to golf shirt manufacturing to outdoor furniture showroom all of which were the perfect training for running her own business. In total, she has 26 years of experience in the areas of giftware, home accessories and entrepreneurship. She loves the creativity of lacquerware design and managing J. Fleet Designs while raising her three active boys.

Carol Rubin, Director of Marketing and International Sales, recently joined J. Fleet Designs to help the company grow into new markets. Not only is she Emily's sister, but she has 28 years of experience in management, strategy and marketing. Recent positions include Director of Strategy for Exelon Corporation and Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Park District. She is thrilled to leave behind the corporate world and have the opportunity to help J. Fleet Designs expand domestically and internationally. Previously, she lived in Paris and Dijon, France.

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