Australian jewellery designer dies aged 86

“She was so gracious and funny, had great taste,” says the writer and former Vogue Australia editor Kirstie Clements. “I couldn’t walk into Jan Logan boutique and leave without buying something. She had an incredible sense of color.”

“It’s impressive that he’s created a multi-generational brand,” says Clements, who credits the success of the business in part to Logan’s discerning eye for Australian fashion. The brand collaborated with designers Collette Dinnigan, Carla Zampatti, Akira Isogawa and Luke Sales, and Romance Was Born’s Anna Plunkett.

“She managed to make jewelry of excellent quality, fashionable and relatively affordable. There were also incredible campaigns supporting young actresses.”

Capitalizing on Angus’s interest in cinema, Jan launched an annual campaign with Rose Byrne in 2001, highlighting rising stars. Since then, CrownElizabeth Debicki, Teresa Palmer, Marlo Kelly, Phoebe Tonkin and Sophie Wilde took part in Jan Logan campaigns.

“I feel like it’s kind of a rite of passage.” contention Actress BeBe Bettencourt said after being appointed brand ambassador in 2023: “When you look at the track record of incredible Australian actresses who have achieved this, I’m really grateful to have done this.”

You don’t have to be potentially famous to appreciate Jan’s legacy. For a generation of women, a piece by Jan Logan, like Carla Zampatti’s dress, was a sign of professional success. Deborah Thomas celebrates appointment as editor Australian Women’s Weekly With a splurge at the Jan Logan boutique in Melbourne.

“I got a tax refund and bought diamond-studded pearl earrings, and they have remained my go-to jewelry,” Thomas says. “It was a time when people spent huge amounts of money on costume jewelry, but buying from Jan meant buying the real thing.”

Thomas, now chief executive of cancer charity Camp Quality, also remembers Jan’s generosity.

“She never bragged about it, but Jan donated to many charities. She was big on philanthropy, especially when it came to women’s health issues. There was a time when you couldn’t go out without a donated Jan Logan necklace or bracelet being auctioned off for a worthy cause.”

Thomas also remembers receiving a special gift of Jan Logan diamonds from an actress after she wore them for a magazine shoot. “Jan was very generous, but she was also a very savvy businesswoman. She didn’t throw away things.”

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“His talent was understanding creativity and business and making them work together.”

A press release issued by the brand stated that Angus “will continue to lead the brand in Jan’s honor.”

While the business continues to produce exquisite pieces, Jan revealed in a 2019 interview that she had already decided what to do with her personal jewelery collection.

“Oh, I made an extensive list!” said Jan. “I have eight grandchildren, three of them are great-grandchildren. So of course I give parts to the girls and the boys too. I won’t leave them out.”

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