President Barbie, I mean Issa Rae, has teamed with a jewelry company called Cast Jewelry as a collaborator for their new line The Braeve Collection. Cast Jewelry is a fine jewelry brand that was co-founded three years ago by Rachel Skelly and Eric Ryan. The brand focuses on women “recognizing their worth and investing in themselves.” To promote the new collection, Issa did an exclusive interview with People to explain why she chose that company to work with, describe some of the pieces, and talk about her own personal style.
Why she chose Cast Jewelry: “That really spoke to me, especially in the way that [Skelly and Ryan] mentioned how typically jewelers will have men buy jewelry for women,” Rae tells PEOPLE exclusively. “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.”
Co-creator Rachel Skelly on Issa: “Collaborating with Issa Rae for this collection was a dream come true,” Skelly says via press release. “Whether she’s in front of or behind the camera, she brings such an incredible authenticity, creativity and purpose to everything she does. We knew this collaboration would be no exception, especially with her unique style and creative vision.”
About the collection: The Braeve Collection features 22 pieces of 14-karat gold, sterling silver, black onyx, and Cast-created diamonds, the company’s exclusive lab-grown diamond collection. Modern and versatile, the pieces suit a range of budgets with prices from $250 to $5,900.
Issa’s personal style is represented: The collection also pays homage to Rae’s personal style journey. As a child, she used to steal her mom’s jewelry, particularly her hoop earrings. “There were these bulky hoops that she had that I loved that I used to wear to high school,” the star recalls. “And she used to be like, ‘Take those off. Stop.’” As a nod to her life-long love of hoops, the Braeve Collection features The Braeve Hoop, featuring a unique silhouette that feels both classic and modern.
Barbie gave her “permission” to be more feminine: Growing up a self-proclaimed “jeans and t-shirt, Chucks kind of girl,” Rae didn’t have a particularly feminine style into adulthood — that is, until Barbie. The Blockbuster movie, in which she played President Barbie, not only made a splash at the box office but sparked a playful style streak on and off the red carpet.
“It was such a fun fashion moment,” Rae says. “That was such permission, in a way, to be extremely girly in a way that I’d never approached before… Barbie just allowed me to unapologetically be feminine in a way that has stuck with me. I still hate pink, but that was such a fun moment.”
On creating something to pass down: The Braeve Collection looks ahead to the future, too. Rather than focus too heavily on trends, Rae aimed to create pieces that can become heirlooms. “It had to feel like this is coming from me,” she says, “and something that I’m passing down, that my nieces and nephews, future kids, whatever it is would also feel proud to wear these.”
I love that she credits Barbie for allowing her to “unapologetically be feminine.” That’s awesome! I really think Barbie unlocked a lot of these types of permissions for women in general. It showed us that it’s okay to be ourselves, even if we’re still trying to figure out what that means. And yeah, you can be feminine without all of the pink! Or you can not be feminine and still love pink, etc. The movie and the cultural experience it created really did bring about a whole new, different, and dare I say more joyous way for us to say, “f-ck the patriarchy” (while singing “Closer to Fine,” of course).
Photos credit: Getty and Mario Mitsis/Cover Images, Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon, James Warren / Bang Showbiz / Avalon