Jewelry That Empowers: Jenny Greco’s Ribbon Cuffs Symbolize Strength & Resilience

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Canadian jewelry designer Jenny Greco introduces her limited-edition Ribbon Cuffs. Handcrafted with care, these elegant cuffs represent resilience and solidarity, drawing inspiration from Jenny’s personal journey with stage three metastasis breast cancer. The abstract ribbon design serves as a symbol of beauty and strength in the face of adversity. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to cancer charities, making this piece not only a fashionable statement but a meaningful way to support the cause. We spoke to Jenny to learn more about her inspiration. —Noa Nichol

Your Ribbon Cuffs beautifully symbolize resilience and support. Can you share the inspiration behind this design and how your personal journey with breast cancer influenced it?

I was diagnosed with stage three metastasis breast cancer at 43 years old, and I realized that what no one talks about is the aftermath of cancer treatment. It’s a new normal, new body, along with physical and emotional scars. I wanted to create a wearable piece of jewellery that reminds us of the strength and struggle that everyone battling cancer, or any hardship for that matter, experiences.

The abstract ribbon shape is a unique feature of these cuffs. How did you arrive at this design choice, and what message do you hope wearers will feel when they put them on?

I wanted to design a piece of jewellery that was abstract but still made reference to the cancer ribbon we are all familiar with. To me they represent shields, blocking the constant hits that come at us without warning and I hope they work to empower the wearer and be an ongoing reminder that our strength can carry us through any Cancer or any difficult journey with beauty and elegance.

With a portion of the proceeds going to cancer charities, what causes are particularly meaningful to you, and how do you envision your contributions helping those affected by breast cancer?

The cause most important to me besides cancer research, is to support small business entrepreneurs who are diagnosed with cancer and need to navigate through all the treatments while still running their business, concurring costs that are not covered by OHIP; individuals that do not have the luxury of having time off while going through treatments, I was one of those people, and I found it especially difficult to find this type of financial and business support.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. How important is it for you to use your platform as a designer to raise awareness, and what impact do you hope the Ribbon Cuffs will have beyond fashion?

As a designer it has always been important to me to create meaningful pieces that empower. I hope the Ribbon Cuffs will raise some awareness for small business owners impacted by cancer and that they will go beyond being a pretty fashion piece to become an ongoing symbol of strength and resilience.

You’ve been on an inspiring journey, balancing your craft and personal challenges. How has creating these cuffs, and your overall work as a designer, helped you navigate life’s adversities.

My work has saved my life over and over in so many ways. Being able to pour my struggles into something creative has been extremely cathartic and has helped me heal both physically and emotionally through cancer and other adversities. Creating the cuffs allowed me to grieve as well as embrace my cancer experience.