JS Duffin

Describe what yourcompany does :

I acquire vintagebuttons and create one of a kind brooches for men and women with discerningtaste to accessorize their wardrobe.

Anythingextraordinary or unique that your company does?

Because of mybackground in interior design, floral design, and photography aiding me incolor, shape, and material selections, I am able to repurpose and give new lifeto vintage buttons, creating exclusive styles and designs for my brooches.

My idol is CocoChanel! She was a savvy, fearless, and iconic creative. I agreewith her when she said, “To be irreplaceable, you have to be different.”

Given your businessexpertise and the nature of what you do, what advice (whether general orspecific) can you offer to the residents of your neighborhood?

The fashion trendstoday are showing that brooches are coming back into style.

In addition, theupcycling of buttons, so vital a component to the clothing we wear, contributes to the global effort to reuse our resources.

How did you decideon this industry (events that led up to where you were now, where you went toschool, etc.)?

I have always lovedshopping at antique stores and asking myself, what were the histories of thetreasures found within these shops?

While living in Salem, OR,I used to frequent the antique stores on State Street. Occasionally, I wouldventure to the Sellwood District in Portlandwith a friend, where we would find inspiration on every aisle. It wasthere that I discovered vintage buttons of various sizes and shapes and decidedto purchase a few. I was intrigued by their collective history anddecided to transform them into brooches. I fell in love with the processof creation and was hooked! And thus, in 1998, my antique button broochbusiness was born.