Issa Rae recently added jewelry designer to her long-listed resume. The multi-talented entrepreneur partnered with San Francisco-based fine jewelry brand Cast to release an impressive collection consisting of 22 stunning pieces based on Rae’s personal style.
The “Braeve” collection features various earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings crafted from 14K gold, black onyx, sterling silver, and Cast-created diamonds, ranging from $250 to $5,900. This collection’s effortless transition from day to night makes the pieces perfect for daily activities or elegant events.
“My personal style day to day is very simple — jeans, t-shirts, Chucks — and that’s why this jewelry is my way of dressing up; it’s how I show that I belong in certain rooms, it’s like my effort in the office … I’ll put my hair up in a bun and won’t wear makeup but I’ll put jewelry on and it’s like, ‘I tried,'” Rae said.
For a while now, Rae has been known to be an advocate for women’s empowerment, making this collaboration a no-brainer. Co-founded by Rachel Skelly and Eric Ryan, the three-year-old company stands on the importance of women recognizing their worth and investing in themselves.
“As a storyteller, the typical marketing around jewelry is that women wait to be gifted [it] by a man … and [Cast’s] whole ethos is about having women be able to gift themselves,” Rae added. “That really spoke to me, especially in the way that [Skelly and Ryan] mentioned how typically jewelers will have men buy jewelry for women. They’re waiting for this guy to purchase this piece for you. And as someone who lives for the empowerment of women [their approach] was really satisfying to hear.”
Nonetheless, the “Braeve” collection, released earlier this week, is now available on Cast’s website, with select styles also featured on Nordstrom’s website.
