North Shore Native Opens Flagship Lana Fine Jewelry Store In Winnetka

WINNETKA, IL — More than 20 years after launching her brand of fine jewelry, which has become a favorite of celebrities, Lana Bramlette last month opened her first store in Winnetka's Hubbard Woods neighborhood.

Before her jewelry designs started being sold by retailers like Fred Segel, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, Bramlette says her company grew out of an unmet need.

"I couldn't find the perfect gold hoop earring, and I made a nameplate necklace of my then-boyfriend, now-husband's name and I walked around with a 'Rob' necklace, and everybody was questioning what is on my neck," Bramlette told Patch. "Long story short, everybody wanted one, you couldn't go out and get a custom fine jewelry nameplate anywhere unless you knew a neighborhood jeweler."

Bramlette, a North Shore native and Stevenson High School grad, moved from Lincoln Park to Glencoe with her family in 2020.

She and her real estate broker, who is also a close friend, were scouting locations to move the jewelry business' office north from Chicago, when the broker called Bramlette on her birthday to tell her about "the perfect space" — the former site of Bella Bleu Bridal at 912 Green Bay Road.

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Bramlette said the area's ambiance and demographics have shifted since the pandemic.

"I've always wanted to open up my first store, but I didn't know that it was going to be in Winnetka until I moved here and really fell in love with the area and really was impressed with how it kind of rejuvenated and so many people moved here at the same time we did," she said.

"There's just kind of a a new client, if you will, here. Everything's a little bit different. It's definitely busier, there's more traffic, there's a lot more excitement," she added. "And I kind of recognized that as I was living here."

Bramlette said she knew the time was right to expand from selling jewelry in department stores and online and to operating out of her own shop.

"We were building out our businesses in a very large way, and that definitely took all of our attention, but I think after the pandemic, and recognizing how loyal our clients were to us, and how our web business exploded, we recognized that it was time to also take this to a brick-and-mortar store," Bramlette said.

Lana carries jewelry for women, men, kids, weddings and other events, with prices starting at $300 and rising into the six-figure range.

"We want it to be very attainable, and that's how I started the collection," Bramlette said. "We were the entry-level price point in fine jewelry in all of the luxury retailers."

The majority of jewelry in stock at Lana's new Winnetka flagship location is ready for purchase, with some customization also available.

"You can walk out that day with anything you see in the cases, but we definitely do personalization," she explained. "So if there is initials and nameplates and whatnot, yes, that's customized, and, of course, if someone comes to us with a request that works with our brand identity, absolutely we will work with that."

More than two decades after its founding, Lana Jewelry still operates as a locally owned family business. Bramlette's father, a former Motorola marketing executive and Highwood resident, co-owns the business, and her daughter has helped design the children's jewelry collection, Lana Girl.

After the big boost to online sales that followed restrictions associated with the coronavirus, people are not shopping on the internet as much, Bramlette said. She said her brand is doing brisk business at Oakbrook Center, though some shopping centers may have to be more creative to stay afloat.

"In the last year, the pendulum has shifted. I think people are coming back into stores. Our business in national retailers is very strong. I think that the luxury market is a little bit different than any other market, and we are in the luxury market," she said.

"I think there's people who're ready to come out of the house, they want to be in a setting where they can touch and feel and experience the brand, and I think people are definitely seeing Winnetka and Hubbard Woods as a destination where they can spend the day and shop and eat and experience the neighborhood."

Several grand opening events are planned at Lana in the coming weeks.

Bramlette said she plans to open more stores in the next few years, with her Winnetka flagship set to serve as a prototype for future markets across the United States and internationally.