Nicole Kidman wears the Duet Pinky Ring while accepting her Emmy award last night.
Last night's Emmy Awards were a triumph for diversity and inclusiveness. Awards went to the likes of Riz Ahmed, who won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, making him the first South Asian man in Emmy's 69-year history to win for acting. Or Lena Waithe, who is the first African American woman to win for comedic writing.
There was one message, though, that was quietly making a statement without saying a word.
Two Hollywood stars who were also winners last night, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley, were both spotted wearing Duet Pink Rings by the company dedicated to creating a "supportive, powerful network for the women in its tribe," Shiffon Co.
A close-up of the Duet Pinky Ring on Actress, Shailene Woodley, at the 69th Annual Emmy Awards.
The adjustable pinky ring that coils around the finger and ends with two stones (a sapphire and diamond, or diamond and diamond) represents a pinky promise, referencing the unbreakable pact you made when you were kids. The idea behind the Duet Pinky Ring is that it serves as a physical reminder to promise to pay it forward to other women. The side-by-side stones were even designed to represent one woman supporting one another.
"We wanted to build an innovative and empowered brand for women since so many of the top household names were founded by men," says the jewelry company's founder, Shilpa Yarlagadda.
Shiffon Co., a collective of eight women who are still undergrads at top universities like Harvard and Stanford, are donating 50% of the sales of the rings to seed grants for start-ups around the world whose mission it is to support, uplift, educate or promote the well-being, safety, health and general advancement of women and girls.
These driven group of students were able to get the rings onto the hands of these A-listers simply through the potency of the company mission--they did not use PR or pay the actors to wear them. Instead, the women behind Shiffon Co. got through to Kidman and Woodley and pitched the ring. The two actors then decided the cause was one they wanted to support and wore the pinky ring to the Emmys in solidarity with the company mission. Before them, Emma Watson donned the ring and gave it a shout out on her Instagram account dedicated to her fashion, the_press_tour.
Like Kidman and Watson, Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer of H Squared Research, was one of those people on the other end of a cold call from the team at Shiffon Co. Herzog, too, was so moved by their mission, she joined their Board of Directors. "Shilpa's email to me was short but thought-provoking, she didn't add extra words or bury the lede," Herzog says. "Then I met with her and was blown away. When asked, Shilpa answered all of my questions in a way that displayed she had a good grasp on how retail works. Most importantly, she was a genuinely kind person."
Similarly, celebrity stylist, Sarah Slutsky, also received a call from the founders, which led to her becoming one of the company's closest mentors. "I get a lot emails from people who are looking to start a business or get into fashion, but something about their energy right off the bat felt really different. There was a need to give back and to do something bigger than them," says Slutsky. "And as a stylist, jewelry is very important to me and what I do. It's very personal and representative, so it's nice to be able to present something to clients that has such meaning."
With the company motto, "wear the change you want to see," these young founders aspire to bring the best in humanity by working to create a world where young girls grow up knowing they can follow their passions with the support of a worldwide network of strong women.
"We want people to stand up for what they believe in by supporting other women," adds Yarlagadda. "It's crazy, but I think we can create a more connected and supported world for women through making beautiful jewelry."