With Love 08.12.25

Dearest Rubettes,

I have some unfathomable news: on Tuesday 2nd of December, my dad, Vere Sharma, died.

You may know that Anna-Lise, our Sales and Marketing Director (AKA Lou) is my sister. We have three brothers: Jared, Ryan and Liam. We have all lost our Dad.

You may also know that RUBY is part of the constant evolution of a family business that our mum and dad started in 1997. They are a couple of the original rag traders, starting as textile importers, moving on to produce garments for New Zealand retailers, and uniforms for New Zealand companies. They bought RUBY from Elizabeth Shand in 2007, and alongside our team, have made RUBY what it is today. My mum Chris is our Managing Director. She has lost her husband of 39 years.

As a leader, I’m endlessly worried I will be like David Brent from The Office, so I sometimes get the ick talking about ours being a family business. But we are, all the way to our core.

While I am the overlord of our day-to-day decisions, dad is still deeply involved in the business. Always ready as a sounding board, engaged with the way our industry is changing, and the MVP in the sending of links to articles. And so on the 2nd, our whole team, past and present, lost a man who was an important part of their daily lives.

“All of us that got the opportunity to work with and learn from Vere are incredibly fortunate. Not only did he give us invaluable insight and advice, he was always so keen to help out, no matter how silly the question or what time of day.”

As a team, we were talking about dad on Thursday, and Kiran, our Head of Marketing + Technology, said something that reminded me of one of our ~official~ comms: “Best known and loved for its mutually nourishing relationship with its community”. So right now, I ask for your nourishment. For you to extend your love and compassion to all of us as we process this devastating loss, and continue to build on what dad has taught us to make RUBY a truly inspirational business.

Dad’s connections across the industry are also broad and deep.

“Vere was always consistently supportive, always had time for me and it’s something that has stayed with me navigating this industry of ours.”

I want to thank all of those who have connected with us over the past week, and thank you in advance for the love and support I know you will give us in the coming days and months. Well, really, years.

I could tap tap tap on this keyboard for ever about dad. But writing about him in the past tense is terrifying. I love dad with all of my heart, and now is the time for me to learn how to express my love for him without the physical vessel of his body here with me to receive it.

With love,

Em x