Just before the holidays, the women behind Of Rare Origin set off on a very stylish adventure and now, they’re planning the next trip for 2021.
These Mother-Daughter Jewelry Designers Took Their Dreamy Collection on a “Traveling Truck Show”
Road trips were de rigueur in 2020. Traveling by car, even for those who typically despise long rides, were viewed as luxurious, leisurely escapes and offered a sense of discovery not felt since before the COVID-19 virus hit hard last year. Amid the pandemic streets and highways became a safe means of reconnecting with the outside world and for some businesses, a way to come face-to-face with customers (masks on and 6 feet of distance between them, of course).
In November, just before the holidays, one such independent, New York City-based brand did exactly that. Of Rare Origin, a statement fine jewelry label founded by sisters Thea and Octavia Giovannini-Torelli and their mother Leslie Tcheyan in 2016, created what they called their very personal, very fabulous “traveling truck show.” They fixed up a second-hand flatbed truck outside of their family home in Montauk and crafted a whimsical storefront on wheels, fashioned to look like a small, summer-y Italian kiosk replete with an Aperol Spritz bar and a sunny boudoir for their sculptural, whimsical gems. They set off on an adventure in the American south, taking their jewels to South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina. The trio stopped at local boutiques that carry their pieces, including Out of Hand in Charleston, Cantley & Company in Birmingham, 20Twelve in Memphis, SO SUSU in New Orleans, Mashburn in Atlanta, and Capitol in Charlotte.
Tcheyan and the Giovannini-Torelli sisters also took every possible safety precaution along the way, including asking visitors to book private appointments through the store partners, keeping hand sanitzer readily available on the truck and sanitizing every surface several times per day, all in addition to of course wearing masks and keeping 6-feet of distance between each person. They also took the temperatures of each visitor and themselves daily, as well as sanitized the jewelry after customers tried on the pieces and, if they decided to purchase, wrapped up the item they tried on for them to take home.
The Of Rare Origin family is now planning their next journey, which will take them and their bright storefront truck to Florida, Texas, and California this spring. As it’s still going to be a while until life and travel resume back to normal, we’re in for another year of adventures via road trip. And that’s okay, because, as Of Rare Origin has proven, getting behind the wheel can bring some much-needed lightness and hope, even in the retail world. And with their jewelry as the main passengers along for the ride, Of Rare Origin’s version of life on the road is a seriously stylish one too.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Brooke Bobb
