Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui are the founders of the direct-to-consumer fine jewelry brand, AUrate. Sophie, who drives the fashion and strategy elements of the business, previously served as global director of Retail Marketing and Strategy at Marc Jacobs. Sophie holds a Master in Finance from Princeton University and a Bachelor in Economics from the University of Amsterdam. Bouchra Ezzahraoui has a background in finance as an Interest Rate Derivatives trader at Goldman Sachs and brings her financial expertise to AUrate. She earned her Master in Finance at Princeton University and her Bachelor in Applied Mathematics at Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Economique in Paris. In 2014, the two business women decided to combine their experience in fashion and finance and launched AUrate, a line of jewelry that has already received rave reviews for its design and industry changing business model.
May 19, 2016
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R&S
On Sunday, we'll find you wearing:
Sophie
Bouchra: It really depends on my plans, but I’d say yoga pants, a white v neck, black Nikes and my leather jacket when it's a bit cold outside.
R&S
Your current Netflix addiction:
Sophie
Sophie: Girls. Silicon Valley. Game of Thrones. House of Cards. It’s the best way to escape after a long day (while eating chicken tikka masala – guilty pleasure).
View Sophie's Essentials
R&S
What do you love most about your work?
Sophie
Sophie: The versatility. One second I might be designing jewelry, the other we are in tough negotiations w/ vendors, the next I might be scouring the streets searching for a new store. Never a dull moment!
Bouchra: Being a founder is the best way to experience creation and belief. The learning process of how to make something from nothing and diving in the unknown is what makes my job exciting every single day.
R&S
One piece of advice you would give your 18 year old self:
Sophie
Sophie: Believe in yourself. At 18 I was still very much finding out who I was and could maybe get wrapped up in overthinking – I would love to have told myself to follow my instincts more.
Bouchra: You are crazy enough to think you can change the world. Please DO IT.
R&S
Your motto in life:
Sophie
Sophie: Just Do It. You regret the things you didn’t do much more than those that you did. Learn via trial and error and don’t get paralyzed by overthinking. This was our key motto with AUrate and worked very well thus far.
Bouchra: Every day is precious so please treat it like that. Love your family and friends, pursue your passion and don’t forget to dream.
R&S
Midnight snack of choice
Sophie
Bouchra: I am a big dark chocolate consumer. I have a sweet tooth and my go to is the 85% cacao from Green and Black’s.
R&S
The trend you hope never goes out of style:
Sophie
Sophie: High waists. So much more elegant and refined!
R&S
Your favorite restaurant for brunch and your go-to order:
Sophie
We love Café Gitane. This is where AUrate was born. Definitely the meatballs!
R&S
Nail color currently on your hands and feet:
Sophie
Sophie: Grey and white. It’s almost only ever white, black or grey. Blends in well with anything. Given our career, we always need well-manicured nails!
R&S
The skill or sport you’re dying to learn:
Sophie
Sophie: I would love to be able to code. It would be so useful in many ways. It’s the language of today and of the future.
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