Fashion: Meaghan Quirin ’15

Meet Meaghan Quirin, a Senior, American Studies major from Manhasset, New York. I chatted with Meaghan about the “polished-bohemian” jewelry company she works for and the wonders of Instagram. During our interview, I got a sneak peek of the bright and feminine “bliss stacks” and the delicate gemstone necklaces eff.Y.bee has to offer.

What’s the name of the jewelry company you work for?

“It’s called eff.Y.bee and it stands for “follow your bliss.” It was started in 2011 by Alyssa Kuchta, she went to [University of Delaware], and is based out of New York City. She launched the company after being inspired by fundraising for earthquake relief in Haiti. All the jewelry is made of gemstones and everything on the website is, if not at $100, under $100, so it’s affordable.”

What do you do at eff.Y.bee?

“My job this semester is “brand ambassador” and their biggest social media platform is Instagram, so you’ll see me Instagramming a lot of jewelry and promoting the company over all.”

Where can people buy eff.Y.bee jewelry?

“I’m going to do two trunk shows. One is going to be for Relay for Life, where 15% of the proceeds will go towards Relay. I’ll do another one closer to the holidays, which won’t be for fundraising, but there will still be a discount code. It will be for holiday gifts and they are really great gifts because everything is really affordable. Everything is in the $50 and under range. [Bracelet] stacks are a little more expensive.”

What makes eff.Y.bee special?

“On the website you can make custom bracelets. So organizations on campus, like Greek life…we’re going to make a custom bracelet for Relay that’s purple with “Relay for Life” on the tag. Any group on campus that wants to make custom bracelets can contact me.”

What kind of jewelry can you find on the website?

“There are individual bracelets, bracelets that come in a stack that match together. She does bigger, statement necklaces with one big stone, and also teardrop-looking necklaces. There’s also a custom necklace that’s two different gemstones and you can choose the (gem) colors and the chain material, either gold or silver. There are some earrings, but not as many as bracelets and necklaces.”

How did you get involved with the company?

“A girl from my town was a brand ambassador at Loyola University of Maryland, and I saw her Instagram last semester, looked at the jewelry and loved it. I realized [eff.Y.bee] was based out of New York, so I contacted the owner of the company and she sent me all the brand ambassador stuff. I’m trying to figure out if I want to end up in the marketing/sales area after graduation. So she’s going to help me figure out what I want to do.”

Can more people become “brand ambassadors” for eff.Y.bee?

“She would be more than happy to have multiple brand ambassadors at the school. They just have to contact brand ambassador at effybee.com and they could talk to me as well.”

Side note: it’s always a good idea to follow your bliss.