OUR INTERVIEW WITH: EVA BAI AND AVA BAI OF VALE JEWELRY

It's gift giving season! And to help make our decisions easier on what to get for who, we spoke with Eva Bai and Ava Bai, twin sisters, entrepreneurs, and the design masterminds behind the successful Vale Jewelry. 

We are completely obsessed , scratch that, addicted to their pieces! Because we keep going back for more to add to our growing collection, we decided to bring them in for a little interview where we asked them about their favorite pieces and for some quick and easy styling tips. 

Not only have Eva Bai and Ava Bai's jewelry designs been featured on fashion websites like Refinery 29, Vanity Fair and Lucky Magazine, but also Vale Jewelry has been spotted on celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Lena Dunham and models like Miranda Kerr. (They are basically a walking, talking girl power tale of epic proportions, and we love that.)

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE?

E&A Bai: Well we, it was very difficult finding affordable fine jewelry, so we wanted to create a line that was very accessibly priced, but also what we call "stuck in skin" jewelry so pieces you can put on and never take off. 

Q: THEY ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL. AND YOU'RE COMPLETELY RIGHT ABOUT THE FEEL OF YOUR JEWELRY. I BASICALLY WEAR MY EARRINGS EVERYDAY. WE WERE TALKING BEFORE, AND YOU SAID YOU LIKE TO PAIR THE IDEA OF MODERNITY WITH ROMANCE, IS THAT HOW YOU WOULD DESCRIBE YOUR PIECES?

E&A Bai: I would say they are very minimal, I guess, and modern. Most importantly they are easy to wear. 

(Earrings we wear almost everyday: middle row third pair from the left.)

Q: HOW WOULD YOU PAIR THESE PIECES IN THE WINTER VERSUS THE SUMMER?

E&A Bai: Well you can create a desired effect depending on how many pieces you wear, depending on if you want to have a strong look. Maybe in the summer you'll want to wear only one or two pieces. But, during the winter I would layer on longer necklaces over the heavier sweaters and knits. 

Q: AND, THEN IF YOU WANTED TO WEAR JUST ONE PIECE, A GREAT GIFT ITEM THAT CAN GO WITH JUST ABOUT ANYTHING FROM YOUR TEE AND JEANS TO A NIGHT OUT, WHICH ONE PIECE WOULD YOU SUGGEST? 

E&A Bai: My favorite piece is this one, and it is one of our signature pieces, a large square, plain necklace. 

(Signature necklace referred to is top right)

Q: Thank you so much! 

E&A Bai: No problem! Thank you so much!

To shop the pieces you see above visit: HERE

Follow Vale Jewelry on Insta @valejewelry to stay up to date on all things Vale and to find out when they will be doing a pop up capsule collection at Chelsea Market!

Stay Lovely,

D.R

Editor and Curator of

Dusk & Rubies Blog 

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Custom Orders Can Still Be Placed Until December 18th!

Stay Lovely,

D.R

Editor and Curator of

Dusk & Rubies

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New Projects: Fashion Bloggers' Meeting At The New York Times

Writers at NY Times Meeting

It was last February, when I started my blog Dusk & Rubies as a way to add a voice behind my brand Dusk & Rubies Jewelry Company. In those first early months, I could never have imagined all the wonderful things I would gain to experience from starting this small but eager blog. Not only am I constantly in awe by the readers who are supporting, reading, and sharing our content (#teamlovely), but I am also in awe by the amazing opportunities, and people it has brought into my life. One of these amazing opportunities includes my invitation, from Bello Consulting, to attend a Fashion Bloggers' meeting last Thursday. It was held at the...wait for it...New York Times building in NYC.

As a writer, I know that trying to explain the feeling of walking into Time would be comparable to the sputtering of a small child trying to recount the magic, and sense of endless opportunity of visiting Disney World. Just imagine a cherubic child with twinkling eyes, and cheeks turned rosy from trying to say everything before taking a huge gulp of air...That was, is, and always will be what my excited face looks like.

Although I can't say what the meeting was about exactly (it is under wraps!), I can tell you that I am extremely excited about continuing on this path to support women, small businesses, and to pass on my positivity to anyone who may want or need a little more positive vibes in their life.

I think there is a lot to be said about how special a person is when they have the ability to bring others up, rather than put them down. It is so often, in our culture, that women are in competition with one another, rather than standing together proud of each other and their accomplishments. The sentiment of standing together, to support one another, was so strong during our meeting that everyone who was invited felt as if they could take on the world. I was completely inspired by each person and their story. It was so nice to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, and women who find importance and purpose in supporting others...oh, and look stylish while doing it of course.

Here are some more photos that I snapped while inside the Time Building.

 

 

 

 

Stay Lovely,

 

And remember:

 

Even small steps create paths which help to create new opportunities!

 

D.R

 

Editor and Curator of

 

Dusk & Rubies

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Coloring Outside The Lines Of Beauty With Farah Zulaikha

So often we, especially women, are bombarded with definitions of beauty. We are constantly told who we should look like by magazines, television, and the web. Even science has decided to join this discussion on beauty by dedicating itself to figuring out the exact formula behind sex appeal. With both media and science constantly chattering in my ear trying to tell me what makes someone aesthetically pleasing, meeting Farah Zulaikha was like hitting the reset button- she was exactly what I needed to help me better figure out my own beauty, and what it truly means to be beautiful.

Walking the wintry streets of the Upper East Side, before hailing a cab to CuRious Candy (Cynthia Rowley's flagship building), I kept myself warm with my own excitement- and nerves. I was about to meet the inspiring Farah or, as her admiring followers know her as, Fafa. After my picture was snapped in front of the artful yet playful walkway, I headed into Cynthia's boutique where I was instantaneously made comfortable. Cynthia's people are like the fairy god-mothers of a good time. Within seconds I was gracefully removed from my coat, and my well-manicured fingers were occupied by the stem of a champagne flute. Even more remarkable, was when Farah glided over matching my excitement perfectly by greeting me like a longtime girlfriend.

"You must be Danielle! My publicist told me so much about you! We both love your blog, and she said you were the sweetest thing. I am so happy you're here!"

I was floored to say the least, and extremely humbled by how personable Farah was. She took my hand and pulled me through a crowd of her guests, and we talked about her cause, her dreams, and why she pursued her path in a special interview.

On Being A Fashion Ambassador...
I've always been a girls' girl. When I was younger I would look at magazines and think 'how come no one looks like me?'. I want girls to know that beauty isn't defined by just being one thing. You don't have to just have blond hair and blue eyes to be considered beautiful.

On Her Inspiration And The Launch of Her New Website...
Girls would always e-mail me asking me how I got my hair to be so shiny, or what I do for my skin, and I would tell them 'oh, my mom mixes these home-made remedies in our kitchen and we use it on our hair'. I would make some- I have a background in biochemistry- and send out samples. My followers were like Fafa is this really you e-mailing me?  I would think of course it's really me!

Farah holds up the tinted lip balm in the shade Pink Champagne that everyone invited to the event went home with, and she is all smiles. I told her that I had recently met Maureen Kelly the founder of Tarte cosmetics, whose cosmetics I happened to be wearing, and is also known for her natural cosmetic line.

On  Creating Natural Cosmetics...
Yes, I know Tarte! My lip tint, like Tarte cosmetics, is completely natural and I am really excited about it. From constantly using home remedies, it just felt natural to start to create an all-natural cosmetics. I am really excited about the lip tint because it was a shade designed to look great on every girl, and every skin tone.

As the night continued, Farah personally greeted each guest as they arrived, and we continued our conversation throughout the evening. One of the personality traits that Farah possesses, which I firmly believe is what draws people to her, is her compassion. At one point in the evening I had expressed that it was her philanthropy that I found so profound and beautiful. She replied by grabbing my hand and with a genuine seriousness stated, Yes, I strongly believe that charity is spreading love and beauty. 

Farah is involved in so much, and is bettering the world in so many different ways. I love that Farah is well known not only for her ads and editorials as a model, but also as the face behind her humanitarian efforts. See some of her outstanding photographs below.  

By the end of the night, I felt as if I had known Farah for years. Every guest was touched by her enthusiasm, and her ability to put into action the good she wants to see it the world. Beauty grows and spreads like wild fire through women like Farah, and that is the kind of beauty I wish we saw more of. She is humble, philanthropic, kind, intelligent, and friendly. It is because of all of this that Farah radiates beauty, a beauty that is not just visible to the naked eye, or measured by science, but a beauty that can be felt.

I cannot wait to see what Fafa has in store for her #fafanistas!

For more info, and to stay up to date with everything Farah check out her website!

Follow her on

instagram: @Farahzofficial

facebook: Official Facebook Page

Stay Lovely,

D.R

Editor and Curator of

Dusk & Rubies Blog

------------------------------------------- 
Part of the WSWP: Women Support Women Project

Know someone who is starting a small business and is looking for press? E-mail us your story, and your business may be chosen to have an article written about it [duskandrubies@gmail.com]

Written by: Danielle A. Rufrano
NYS Teacher Certification in English Language Arts
Freelance writer for: yourzenlife.com and getfesty.com
BA in English, 2010

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Click on the tab shop above.

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Stay Lovely,

D.R

Editor and Curator of

Dusk & Rubies Blog

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