HOW THE RUBY+ED TEAM WEAR SS13: ARUNA CRIMSON BLOUSE

Lorna, our graphic design assistant is seen in our beautiful office gardens wearing the Aruna Crimson Blouse, a 100% silk top that breathes in the summer heat.

Lorna agrees, "I love the Aruna Crimson Blouse because long sleeves make it perfect for the office and the light-weight silk means I don’t get too hot wearing it on warmer days. It’s an easy way to 'pretty-up' a pair of jeans and the colour and pattern are so summery!"

HOW THE RUBY+ED TEAM WEAR SS13: RIA PETALS TOP AND DOVE ALINE PUMPS

The sun has begun to shine in Leicestershire and with it we bring out floral prints on floaty silk, perfect  for achieving that classic 1920's Great Gatsby look this summer. Sophie, from Ruby+Ed Customer Services, wears the Ria Petals Silk Top with our Dove Suede Aline pumps and the Mist Hand Loomed Scarf.

‘’The Ria Petals Top is so easy to dress up or down depending on your day, throw together with a pair of Suede A  Line pumps for daytime wear or put on a pair of heels for a night out,’’ says Sophie. 

Ruby+Ed x

HOW THE RUBY+ED TEAM WEAR SS13: SEA BLUE TEE AND WANDERING ELEPHANT SCARF

The sunny weather hasn't seemed to stay with us this week, but the Ruby+Ed team still wear the SS13 collection to work come rain or shine! Lucy, our Product Development Assistant, is seen here wearing the Sea Blue Tee in cotton silk, with the beautiful digital printed Wandering Elephant Scarf.

“This Sea Blue Tee is so easy to wear, as I can team it with most things in my wardrobe. And the oversized print on the scarf adds a touch of detail to finish off my outfit.” Lucy, Product Development Assistant. 

Ruby+Ed x

HOW THE RUBY+ED TEAM WEAR SS13: RIA SMOKE

Here is Olivia, our PR Manager, standing outside the Ruby+Ed showroom in her Ria Smoke top and Denim Blue advantage pumps from our SS13 collection.  

“I teamed the Ria Top in Smoke with a pair of maroon jeans as there were flecks of matching colour in both. The Advantage pumps are the perfect summer footwear, especially with a big trend this season being Denim!”

Ruby+Ed x

HOW THE RUBY+ED TEAM WEAR SS13: THE ILLUSIONS SHIRT

Here at the Ruby+Ed office we truly love the products we create, so much so that we mix pieces with our own work wardrobe. This feature is dedicated to the members of our team who combine their own individual style with Ruby+Ed’s unique look.

This is Hollie, our Trade Manager, wearing the Ruby+Ed ILLUSIONS SHIRT. 

‘I love wearing prints and the Illusions shirt is really different! It’s also great when you can wear your summer wardrobe both in and out of work, so this top is ideal.’

Ruby+Ed x

RUBY+ED CELEBRATE THE DIAMOND JUBILEE

Being a British brand here at Ruby+Ed HQ we are all getting very excited for the Diamond Jubilee weekend which is fast approaching. Seeing as we are all going to be with our friends and family during the weekend we decided that we would hold a tea party which everyone contributed to with decorations, food and drinks so that we could celebrate together in true Ruby+Ed style. The Ruby+Ed team all wore their favourite pieces from the SS12 collection and we partook in numerous party games and a great British quiz created by Hollie our Trade Manager.

Being loyal to tradition Megan made some delicious coronation chicken sandwiches, and Laura baked some British themed cupcakes which were to die for! 

Above you can see Hollie wearing the elegant Esha Tunic whilst cutting into our Union Jack cake after we had devoured all of the wonderful sandwiches and snacks. 

Above you can see Laura who is also wearing the Esha Tunic being crowned Queen of the Diamond Jubilee quiz, and all of us playing a game of 'guess who' around the table. 

Below is Claire and Megan pictured modelling two of our silk blouses from the SS12 capsule clothing collection. 

Here is Olivia and Suzy wearing their novelty masks! Olivia is wearing the Surya teared dress and Suzy is supporting our Neha chemise dress.

As you can see from the pictures the afternoon was a great success and we hope that it inspires you to create your very own Diamond Jubilee tea party.  To view all of the pictures from the afternoon please visit the Ruby+Ed Facebook page, and don't forget to ‘like’ us :) 

Keep an eye on our blog as we will be posting a story soon of how you can create some of your very own home made Jubilee bunting. 

Ruby+Ed x

EXPLORING THE ETERNAL CITY OF ROME

Last weekend our Creative Design Manager Ed was treated by his mum and brother with a weekend holiday to Rome for his Birthday. Here is his travel diary accompanied with some beautiful pictures he took whilst he was out there. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did!

'Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated with ancient Roman history, and have always dreamt about where it all began and what it must have been like to stand in the great Coliseum 2000 years ago. So for my Birthday my mum (Irene) and brother (Tom) decided to treat me to a weekend away in the old city of Rome.

We arrived in Rome on Friday afternoon and were welcomed by the beaming sunshine and 26 degrees heat. With that we put on our walking shoes and hit the road to discover the city. The hotel was a perfect boutique hotel placed a stone’s throw away from the great Trevi Fountain and even better it was right in front of Rome’s famous Trevi ice cream parlour.

The Trevi Fountain 

The Trevi fountain was built around 400 years ago and is famous for being one of the most romantic sites in the city as well as being a popular scene for many movies such as the 1954 film ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’. The Trevi fountain stands at 26 metres high and 20 metres in width making it the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. There is a myth that if a visitor of Rome throws a coin in the fountain they are ensured to return to Rome one day. So naturally the three of us threw in a coin in hope of being able to come back one day.

Irene in front of the Trevi Fountain

As you can see from the photos above it is a truly impressive site but not quite near as impressive as my beautiful mother sporting the Ruby+Ed Maya Linen dress.

From the fountain we took our exploring deeper into the city and further back in time visiting the Pantheon a temple which was originally built to honour of the ancient Roman Gods. After being amazed by the beautiful architecture and murals of the Pantheon our travels lead us to the Spanish steps. 

(left) The Pantheon, (right) Irene and Tom sitting on the Spanish steps.

On our second day we took a long but leisurely walk to one of history’s most deadly and famous arenas... the Coliseum! Below you can see some pictures that I took of the Coliseum where my mum wore the Aruna Dusty Rose dress from our SS12 collection. 

Ed and Irene at the Coliseum. Here you can see Irene wearing the Aruna Dusty Rose

After taking a tour of the Coliseum we had a quick look at the Forum before taking what felt like a trek to the Pope’s household and possibly the smallest country I have ever visited…The Vatican City and the Vatican museum.

Walking past the Forum to the Vatican City

If you have never been to the Vatican then I would definitely recommend it to you, especially if you have an appreciation of art. I was pleasantly surprised and would say it was possibly one of the most impressive places that we saw during the holiday. I learnt that the Vatican isn't just the home of the Pope and the Mecca of the Roman Catholic religion but is also the home of the Sistine Chapel of which has a ceiling completely painted by the famous Michelangelo some 500 years ago. In addition to this it would seem that every room and corridor was painted from wall to ceiling, all of which by either Michelangelo and or his students.

Irene outside the Vatican wearing the Charcoal crinkle scarf

The Vatican has one of the richest sculpture collections in the world and I would safely say that you don’t have to be an art lover to be blown away by the sites of the building. However, I would say that if you have a bad neck then be prepared as you can’t help but walk around with your head tilted back and eyes glued upwards at the ceilings.'

Inside the Vatican

Ruby+Ed x

A WEEKEND BREAK IN BERLIN

For our next instalment of the ‘Around the world diaries with Ruby+Ed’ we catch up with Olivia our PR Manager to find out what she got up to when she went for a weekend city break to Berlin with her boyfriend. 

‘For my boyfriend’s birthday I surprised him with a 4 day city break to Berlin. We’d heard so much about the city before we went but I was completely blown away by the rich history and culture that was embedded in its architecture and people. I took the Ruby+Ed silk Georgette Surya dress to wear on our first night as we had reservations for a traditional 1920’s cabaret show in one of Berlin’s famous old theatres. The dress felt very appropriate for the occasion as its design was drawn from the ‘flapper’ era. I teamed it with some high court shoes, a blue woven zip blazer and a felt wide brimmed hat.

Olivia and Ramon outside the theatre.

We had a rule to eat no mediocre meals so there was lots of traditional German food consumed by us both including Sauerkraut and Sausage, Bratwurst and of course washed down with a few beers! 

Olivia enjoying a beer and some traditional German food.

The architecture impressed us the most and the best way to view this was by bike, a good way to compensate for all the food and beer we were enjoying! We cycled along a part of the Berlin wall that had been covered in hundreds of paintings commemorating the cold war and I couldn't believe that it was a piece of history very much in place during my childhood. I wore a pair of the White Canvas Lace up pumps perfect for jumping off and on our bikes!

Olivia and Ramon cycling past part of the Berlin wall.

Olivia riding her bike in Berlin.

When we weren't cycling around the sights we took the U-Bahn (the Berlin underground) which is one of the most modern public transport systems in all of Europe, of course built by the German’s! Here I was wearing the Aruna Cerise Dress on our way to a 60’s inspired cocktail bar where you had to knock to enter. I have never seen such an impressive cocktail list and I would highly recommend the Mojitos.  

Olivia catching the tube in Berlin.

Slightly suffering the next day we decided to spend a morning relaxing in the hotel. Below Ramon relaxes in a pair of the Men’s Pebble waffle mules. The summer slipper collection is designed in lightweight materials perfect for taking on holiday. I would recommend the jersey corsage mule in Thistle from the women’s range as they are super soft, light, and in a gorgeous summery colour, perfect for slipping on after a long bath.

Ramon relaxing in the hotel wearing his favourite pair of Ruby+Ed slippers.

I would highly recommend a weekend away in Berlin considering there is so much to explore and how easy it is to get around. Take some Ruby+Ed clothes to wear if you want easy and elegant pieces to pack for a short summer break.'

Ruby+Ed x 

A QUICK TRIP TO THAILAND

Here at Ruby+Ed HQ we are all great ambassadors of our brand that we love to take a little piece with us wherever we go. Therefore we have decided to start the 'Around the world diaries with Ruby+Ed' to let you all know about our adventures out of the office and also to show you how we like to personally style our own products.  

Claire our newest addition to the trade team has just come back from a two week holiday in Thailand where she went to go and meet a university friend who is out there travelling. 

Claire (right) with her friend Anna (left)

Claire is now back in the office working away and longing for those golden sand beaches she has recently left behind. Here is her story of her holiday accompanied with some beautiful pictures she took whilst she was out there.

“I recently took Ruby+Ed around the world for a holiday in Thailand, where I met my friend Anna - who now resides in Australia (lucky thing!). Flying into Bangkok, we spent two days exploring Koh San road and the crazy sights of “backpacker” land – getting Thai massages, bartering for souvenirs and taking a “Tuk Tuk” to the Grand Palace of Bangkok. The city is crazy and there are bright colours everywhere! The beautiful silks and fabrics of Thailand are prevalent in every market stall and tailors on every corner offer bespoke dresses and suits cut in amazing prints and colours.

Market stall in Bangkok

Anna bartering for food in Koh San road (Bangkok) wearing the Ria Emerald

From Bangkok we took a 13 hour overnight bus to the Island of Koh Tao, where we spent lazy days chilling on the amazing beaches and enjoying a passion fruit daiquiri at night time! The following days were spent Island hopping on the fisherman boats, taking in amazing bays and beautiful sunsets before heading back to Bangkok for a final two days.

Beach at Koh Phangan

The sunset on Ko Tao

Inspired by the beautiful fashion and colours of Thailand, I couldn’t resist showing off some of Ruby+Ed’s SS12 Collection and Anna loved wearing the Esha Tunic and the Ria Emerald on the beaches and around the city streets. Teaming them with a pair of denim shorts and a pair of knotted sandals in chocolate, she got many admiring glances and the tunic looked amazing on the beach over a bikini or later in the beach bar!

Anna wearing the Esha Tunic dress in Ko Tao

Anna wearing the Esha Tunic dress in Ko Tao

I had an amazing time and came back with so many photos of the bright colours and sunshine of Thailand – as well as inspiration for Ruby+Ed’s future collections. I would definitely recommend a trip to paradise, with Ruby+Ed in hand to ensure you sparkle on the sand and look stylish at sunset!” 

Ruby+Ed x