A PERSONAL NOTE FROM RINA: HOW THE 2026 KALMUS JEWELLERY CAME TO LIFE
Every autumn, my family and I travel to Egypt. It has been our tradition ever since our honeymoon. And every year, I bring a Brené Brown book with me to explore the atlas of the heart, courage, vulnerability and the deep emotions that connect us as human beings.
Now, for more than twenty years, I have read every book Brené has written, listened to her podcasts and talks, and returned to her words whenever life asked something difficult of me. Her wisdom has never been a passing inspiration. It has become part of my philosophy of life.
In 2018, while reading Braving the Wilderness, I came across three simple lines: Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart. Those words found me at exactly the right moment.
It was the year I left my secure position as Director to join RHANDERS without a salary as part of our dream of acquiring the world's oldest glove factory. I had stepped into what Brené calls the wilderness — a place where nothing is certain, where there are no guarantees, and where courage is tested every single day. I had no idea whether my leap of faith would succeed. But I carried those words with me. Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart.
Six months later, in early 2019, we were finally handed the keys to RHANDERS.
And now, after seven years of carrying this mantra within me, it has become the inspiration behind this year's Kalmus Jewellery Collection. The Leather Fusion Collection.
The solid gold frame became the strong back.
The butter-soft glove leather became the soft front.
And at its heart lives the wild heart.
Today, those words feel more relevant than ever. Not only to my own journey, but to the world around us. To be human right now requires the strength to stand firm – and the softness to feel. They remind me that strength is never diminished by kindness. That openness and vulnerability are not weaknesses. And that perhaps the greatest courage of all is to remain soft-hearted in a world that often encourages the opposite.
It is my hope that this philosophy, now embodied in jewellery, will inspire you too.
Warmly,
Rina
