8 minute read
Ruby Stewart
modern day
Ruby Stewart serves as her own inspiration while embracing new ventures and old friends in her historic Nashville home
BY STACIE STANDIFER | PHOTOS BY JESSICA AMERSON | STYLING AND CREATIVE DIRECTION BY COURTNEY KIVELA ROBINSON
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Photography by JESSICA AMERSON Styling by COURTNEY KIVELA Hair & Makeup by EMILY GRAY HMUA/AMAX using Tatcha products and Charlotte Tilbury makeup. Stylist’s Assistant BRENNAN BURKE
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few days after Ruby Stewart allowed our crew into her West Nashville abode, she extended a warm welcome and open-book attitude as we sat down over vegetarian bowls from Chopt to talk life, love, and long-term goals. Casually dressed in her typical style of off-duty jeans, she put the dogs in the house so we could enjoy a bit of sunshine on this early spring afternoon. She’s a bit stranded, as her Prius is in the shop over battery issues. The decade-old vehicle has been put to the test with her road-trip warrior lifestyle, especially during the pandemic - when the compact auto was transporting Ruby and her beloved dogs from one state to another to visit family and friends. One of those (new) friends’ hails from Austin - a romantic interest that blossomed early on during quarantine after he drove from Austin, TX to visit her in Palm Beach, FL, where she was hunkered down with her father (he keeps a house there) and family during times of isolation. The newly connected pair seems to be going strong in building the relationship, as she’s getting her car ‘well’ enough to make a trip to Austin to spend a couple of weeks since the last quarantine period for them was in Nashville.
We talked about dating, finding ‘the one’, and how the idea of having children of her own has really been something she might consider strongly based on recent thoughts. When you know, you know is the wisdom from our little table talk about partners that last. She’s taking steps personally to be sure of the connection’s depth, just as she has in solidifying her other friendships over the years. That includes a circle of fantastic females living nearby, ranging from fellow songwriters to the photographer, ‘Jess,’ who shot this spread. As an artist, she relates well to other creatives and the habit of other locals spending weekend nights participating in home-jam music sessions until the wee hours is one of the things that made her fall in love with Nashville and making it home. Since she has been everywhere, carving out a home space in Music City was quite a unique choice. But her love for it stems from her nomadic upbringing and the eclectic mix of people that make her feel at home here. GROWING UP STEWART
“I had a truly wonderful childhood. As a young girl, my primary home was Manhattan Beach, CA., with my mother, Kelly Emberg. She was always playing strong female vocal-based music around the house with favorites like Bonnie Raitt and Annie Lenox coming to memory as constant background there. I spent the summers and many holidays in England with my father where the music was mostly soul and Motown. My parents separated when I was just a toddler, so I don’t have memories of them as a couple. I do have strong memories of love from both sides, no matter what was happening or where we were traveling. I understood that my father had to be away from us when we were young to tour and perform, “ she tells me. We then talk about how many people blame adult problems on childhood issues like feeling abandoned or unloved. That’s not the case with her at all. “What you choose to focus on in life is ultimately what you become, right? I always valued time with my father but knew he was away because he was working to take care of us. Both of my parents gave love openly while allowing us to experience the gifts of travel and being exposed to all kinds of people. It really was the best childhood, “ she says with a smile.
This extended to her teen years where she was courted by Sony at the age of 13 to write and record, eventually bowing out of the deal to just ‘be a child and live’ upon her father telling her not to follow what didn’t feel right at the time. She came back to music at the age of fifteen in a way that most performing artists will never get to experience. “My dad let me play my covers during intermissions on stage when I was on tour with him. I was singing for thousands of people and losing my fears while also learning from this continually expanding and changing ‘family’ that’s a part of being on the road touring,” she explains.
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Jacket, vest and pants by RUBY STEWART earrings by KING JEWELERS; necklace and rings by DAVID YURMAN.
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That style of upbringing is evident in how open and humble she still seems today. There’s no evidence of a spoiled or entitled child you might expect with her lineage. In fact, everything about her is the exact opposite. She drives a quirky car, lives in a quaint, modest house that she works on herself, makes her own living, and shares her home with roommates and other creatives. It may not be an apparent life of privilege, but to Ruby, it’s the ideal she wants and needs to fuel her spirit. a bigger way, and I believe it is my responsibility (perhaps fate) to spend time doing this.”
WELL SUITED
GRACE IN GIVING
Another surprising facet of Ruby’s personality is her sense of responsibility at such a young age. While we often see many celebrities devoting time and monies to causes after their careers have hit major heights, she’s been participating in worthwhile endeavors for quite some time. “I am an empath, sometimes to a fault. When storms devastated Haiti, I went there for almost three weeks to help. On that trip, I learned the valuable lesson that we are all more alike than we think. People come to a more common level when faced with tragedy and desperation. I did things I never imagined that I would be able to, and it altered my entire being. From that point, I have been more concerned with how I make others feel in a much bigger way than I had been in the past,” she offers. Ruby talks about the loss of her grandfather this year and how he was well-loved for providing second chances for countless struggling souls. She’s liking how this is shaping her as an adult, including what she’s being called to do next in terms of giving back and to what causes she wants to support most. “I am a feminist and want always to be an advocate for women, especially those throughout the world who are not seen or are not given a voice. Education and outreach are outlets I want to support in As the daughter of a glamourous, Studio 54-era supermodel mother famous for Sports Illustrated covers and a rock-star father (known for wearing silk scarves and bold ensembles on stage and off), fashion and style have always been a big part of Ruby’s life. One dream outside of music that she’s been wanting to fuel for years is to share her passion for women’s suits with the world fashion consumer. She’s bringing that vision to fruition after years of hand-sketching designs, finally finding an ethical manufacturing partner in California to produce her authentic linen designs. “I am inspired by the 1930s and women like Marlene Dietrich, who sported power suits in times when women were restricted in clothing choices. “That era’s films and personalities have always spoken to me, and I’ve also always been an admirer of smart-suiting and vintage styling in that arena over the decades. The design, fabric, and lines of the suits are critical, of course, but aligning with a philanthropic effort that speaks to my heart is just as important. I am talking to several non-profit agencies on how to best funnel dollars from the suit sales into causes most directly impacting the availability of educational and support resources for women who need it most. This isn’t an afterthought, but a part of the business model I am valuing from the start.” This project's outcome is something we are all anxious to view more of in the months ahead as this cream linen design is the first debut of what’s to come with Ruby Stewart’s namesake line. If it’s as beautiful and lovingly layered as the songbird herself, we have something beyond fantastic to look forward to on the fashion front in the near future.
FOR MORE ON RUBY’S MUSIC AND WORK PROJECTS, FOLLOW NASHVILLEEDIT.COM FOR EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT TO BE RELEASED ALL SUMMER.
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living KITCHEN DESIGN | DINNER ENTERTAINING | HOME INTERIORS Kitchen by Design Galleria’s Richard T. Anuszkiewicz
