New York – December 18, 2020 – Cooley advised jewelry startup Aurate on its investment and brand ambassador agreement with actress Kerry Washington. Cooley partner Adam Chase led the team advising Aurate.
To kick off the partnership, Washington collaborated with the company to create The Lioness Collection, which is inspired by the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet and features two of Aurate’s bestselling gold chains bonded together as both a necklace and bracelet, along with hoop earrings and a pendant.
“Aurate is style and substance and Kerry is style and substance,” Sophie Kahn, Aurate co-founder said in a TechCrunch article. “She’s also an activist, she cares and has a voice. That’s why it was such a perfect fit.”
Aurate is committed to democratizing jewelry made from precious metals like gold, thanks to its direct-to-consumer approach that cuts down on markups. The average price point of Aurate’s jewelry is $300. It is also focused on sustainability, using only recycled gold, which is far less damaging to the planet than mining new metals. Aurate’s business continues to grow during the pandemic and, while it operates a couple of brick-and-mortar stores in New York City, 95% of its business is online.
Aurate was founded by Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui in 2015. Hailing from the Netherlands and Morocco respectively, the two longtime friends combined Kahn’s background in fashion and Ezzahraoui’s experience in finance to bring transparency and quality to the fine jewelry market.
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