Every Wave: Interview with Jewelry Designer Yinnan Shen

Every Wave is a New York-based jewelry company that creates gender-neutral pieces of wearable art. Founded by jewelry designer Yinnan Shen, the essence of water is a primary inspiration behind many of the pieces as is the power of self-expression.

Every Wave founder Yinnan Shen (she/her) has experience working as a consultant in the advising industry with a special focus on strategic communications, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), and crisis management. After eight years in this field, Yinnan — who immigrated to America from China nine years ago — decided to make designing jewelry her full-time job.

Yinnan recently discussed her company and more via an exclusive interview.

Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you get interested in designing jewelry and how did you make your ideas a reality?

Yinnan Shen (YS): Designing our jewelry is a co-creation process with my co-founder and a few jewelry designers freelancing for us in China. I have a vision and ideas about the pieces I want for Every Wave, and our designers are the ones who make the ideas a reality, in terms of creating the 3D model.

MM: How did you decide to establish Every Wave and what were some of the challenges of starting a company?

YS: Before starting Every Wave, I had been a consultant for eight years, advising clients on strategic communications, diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I), and crisis management. In 2023, contemplating a career change and a business of my own, the idea of Every Wave came across my mind for the first time, “What would be a better idea than combining my love of jewelry and my passion for DE&I?” Every Wave was therefore born at a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan.

MM: How many pieces are currently available in the New Wave roster?

YS: We currently have 34 different styles and plan on expanding soon. Stay tuned!

MM: Be honest, do you have a favorite piece?

YS: They are all my “babies” so it’s honestly hard to choose! But I personally wear Flow and Glacier most frequently.

MM: Which pieces are most popular with consumers?

YS: Our pieces are relatively equally loved, which is good news to me! The brand was created with the hope that our customers with distinctive backgrounds and tastes can find the pieces that express who they are. Each of us is unique, so we’re naturally drawn to different styles.

MM: Your jewelry is mostly in silver tones — are you planning to expand to shades of gold and various stones in the future?

YS: Yes! I started with silver not only because I’m a silver gal, but also because silver has long been overlooked; the U.S. market lacks silver jewelry with unique designs at an affordable price. I wanted to fix that. But I understand that silver might not flatter everyone, and that some consumers want our designs in gold. It is our goal to expand our collections into gold and other metals in the future.

MM: You have cited water as being a major inspiration…what is it about this element that so intrigues you?

YS: I’m a child of the water; I have always loved water in nature — lakes, rivers, and oceans. I’m attracted by the beauty of its fluidity, as well as the fact that water is malleable and adaptable, but steadfast in its core identity. In Chinese culture, water means wisdom and inclusiveness, two factors that lead us to freedom and compassion. Therefore, there’s no other element that can represent the brand’s philosophy and aesthetics better.

MM: Do you design all of the New Wave jewelry, or are you also willing to consider producing designs from other creators/artists?

YS: As explained in the first question, the designs of Every Wave jewelry are co-created by me, my co-founder, and our freelancing designers. We don’t look to sell or produce other creators’ designs at this point, but we love forming relationships with creators/artists for opportunities for collaboration in the future.

MM: You grew up in China, so how does the jewelry industry there differ from the industry in America, especially in New York?

YS: In China, we have a culture of passing down jewelry from generations to generation as what we call “chuanjiabao,” which means “family treasures for generations.” That said, in China, the meaning or wishes behind jewelry can be more important than the piece itself.

MM: How have you raised awareness about your brand?

YS: We have been raising awareness about the brand through primarily three ways: organic social media content, influencer collaborations, and public relations.

MM: How do you hope your career — and the Every Wave company — evolves over the next ten years?

YS: I hope Every Wave can be known and loved by more and more people in the next ten years, and that Every Wave can be part of a positive influence on society, in terms of being more equal and inclusive.

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To learn more about Every Wave, visit their official website.