1. BY NOELLE BARBOSA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FOLEY
uincy-based clothing designer Avra Myers has been at the fashion forefront for three decades and
has long revered French style. Her most recent business venture, A Ruby, launched in 2014, is a con-
temporary women’s clothing collection influenced partially, she confides, by her love for the book
“Parisian Chic” by Inès de la Fressange.
“I have an image of a French woman sitting at a bistro, slicing a pear and just looking so stylish,”
says Myers. “She is probably wearing a pair of jeans and a black leather jacket and she looks effortless.”
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Myers cofounded Club Monaco (an international brand now owned
by Polo Ralph Lauren) in 1983. During her 23 years with the company, she handled merchandising, buying,
sourcing and production. “I traveled with the owner and we developed the line together,” says Myers, whose
impressive dossier includes executive roles at The Limited and Quincy-based J.Jill.
In 2008, Myers relocated to Bos-
ton to join J.Jill as head of merchan-
dising. For the past five-and-a-half
years, the fashion executive has
shared a home in Marina Bay with
her partner and A Ruby cofounder,
Andrew Parrillo, and the couple’s
chocolate poodle, Rocky. “I love
New England,” says Myers. “I love
that I was able to develop a brand
from scratch right here in Quincy.”
The morning of our inter-
view, Myers, a petite blonde
with almond-shaped eyes and
an inviting smile, greeted me at
her studio (also in Marina Bay)
sporting her signature A Ruby
lofty poncho (a blend of Merino
and cotton yarn fused in a fisher-
man’s rib stitch) paired with her
classic legging pant and a swanky
pair of over-the-knee riding boots. Myers has a je ne sais quoi air about her, along with a relaxed yet classic
approach to dressing.
Myers leads me to a showroom where I find a procession of neatly-folded legging pants in navy, olive and
white. I spot lush sweaters, cozy ponchos and sleek wrap coats in serene neutrals suspended from a slim cloth-
ing rack. A knit infinity scarf in vibrant lapis adds a whimsical pop of color to the collection while trendy tees
touting j’adore and c’est la vie reaffirm the modern style that is A Ruby.FASHION DESIGNER AVRA MYERS CREATES
TIMELESS CLOTHING WITH A PARISIAN FLAIR
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2. “I wanted to make it [A Ruby] easy, comfortable and chic. I wanted to
give women an assortment of clothing that was edited,” says Myers. “It’s not
about hundreds of styles to sift through and figure out what’s right. Our
coat of the season is going to be the right coat for many occasions,” she says,
modeling a plush polar fleece wrap coat from her winter collection. “This
coat really put us on the map.”
Understanding that many women juggle busy lives and complex sched-
ules, Myers was intent on designing a polished, yet carefree collection that
offered sophistication without being complicated. She says her target de-
mographic is primarily women in their 30s and 40s, but she also caters to
a slew of baby boomers. The designer, who has two adult children, says she
envies today’s female generation because they have more choices and bal-
ance (due in large part to advancements in technology) than when she was
a working mother with young children.
“You can take your kids to school, grab a coffee, take a business appoint-
ment and still go out to dinner with your husband wearing the same thing
all day long,” says Myers, referring to her “Quintessentials” – a collection of
five must-have pieces for a woman’s wardrobe that includes a pull-on riding
pant, the perfect white shirt, a boyfriend jacket, a V-neck tunic sweater and
a soft cotton tee. “It’s not just an idea. It works.”
IMAGESCOURTESYOFARUBY
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3. Inspired by Parisian style, A Ruby founder, Avra Myers, designed her women’s clothing collection to be simple yet elegant.
Following a four-year stint at J.Jill, Myers, encour-
aged designing a line that encompassed French style,
since the book “Parisian Chic” had made such an
impression on her. She first created a decoupage, as-
sembling bespoke looks that radiated the essence of
her vision. Myers found herself clipping images of
menswear because in 2013 (when paisley prints were
saturating the runways and fashion magazines), min-
imalist women’s wear was practically nonexistent.
“I began asking women about the items they were
missing in their wardrobe and many said they strug-
gled and never had anything to wear,” reveals Myers.
“I feel very strongly about making it easier for wom-
en to get dressed.”
After having conversations with women from
varying socioeconomic backgrounds, Myers knew
she would offer both essential and trend pieces that
layered easily from season to season. “We offer beau-
tiful neutrals and women can build from that,” says
Myers. “That’s how you dress.”
Myers, who does the majority of her brainstorm-
ing and designing in her studio, has partnered with
designer Robert Page to launch a performance line
later this month and beachwear in mid-April. The
duo will also introduce the brand’s sought-after polar
fleece wrap coat in a luxurious terry fabric that’s ideal
for warmer weather.
According to Myers, the name A Ruby is symbolic
(the letter A represents her given name and Ruby is
her maiden name). Although the brand is an e-com-
merce venture, Myers doesn’t let that deter her from
connecting face-to-face with new and existing clien-
tele at local pop-up shops. “It’s a way to see the cus-
tomer in my clothing and tweak the line based on her
comments,” says Myers, who hosts regular events at
Body Benefits Day Spa in Milton and Michelle Willey
in Boston’s South End.
Adding to her notion that dressing should be
effortless and enjoyable, Myers labels her pieces
from sizes one to five (which fit women from sizes
zero to 18).
“I love designing clothing that makes it easier for
women to get dressed in the morning and also makes
women a little happier throughout the day.”
To learn more about A Ruby, visit aruby.net.
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