How I Got Here: For Yael Fraynd, Jewelry Public Relations Is Deeply Personal

By Karen Dybis | June 11, 2025

Talk about a reason to celebrate. In February, Yael Fraynd (pictured) saw jewelry by one of her clients, Rahaminov, grab a lot of attention—from the public, journalists, and online commenters—when it was worn by Kendrick Lamar during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Lamar’s fashion choices, including the Rahaminov brooches pinned to his backward New Era cap, became a topic of discussion for days after the Pulitzer Prize–winning rapper’s electrifying Super Bowl LIX performance. His flared Celine jeans sparked a trend, and his $68,000 Rahaminov wing brooch even caught People magazine’s eye.

“That was an incredible moment and a definite career highlight,” says Fraynd, owner and president of New York–based Yaya Publicity, which specializes in fine jewelry and fashion brands.

She has another reason to celebrate this year: her company’s 15th anniversary. “We’re hands-on, highly accessible, and everything we do is built on real, organic relationships,” Fraynd says.

“For me, this isn’t just a business—it’s something I truly love. I always joke that I talk to my clients more than I talk to my husband.”

Yaya Yael Fraynd — *Yael Fraynd recently opened a new Tribeca office for Yaya Publicity, which is celebrating 15 years in business in 2025.*

Fraynd’s experience promoting jewelry goes back much further than 15 years. For her, it started when she was 6 or 7 and would make friendship bracelets in her family’s Miami apartment and sell them to her neighbors. That experience plus a high school job at a teen apparel store taught Fraynd the importance of communication and that she likely wasn’t cut out for a desk job, she says.

After high school, Fraynd enrolled in a local college to study psychology and communications, but she got an internship with Miami-based Cece Feinberg PR in 2006 and threw herself into the job, bringing in new clients and securing press placements. Her first account was a luxury boat company, and right away Fraynd realized how much she enjoyed working with a high-end type of business.

Within a year, Feinberg offered her the chance to help open an office in either New York City or Los Angeles. Fraynd chose to stay on the East Coast because she had friends moving to New York and thought she would have more networking opportunities there.

“Convincing my parents wasn’t easy. They imagined I’d live at home until marriage,” she recalls. “I promised it would just be one year. I told them that if I wanted to build my own company one day, I needed this experience.”

Yael Fraynd team — *Fraynd (standing) says communication is the basis of everything Yaya Publicity does for its jewelry industry clients.*

Fraynd largely ran the New York City office solo, meeting with editors, connecting with clients, and taking on a lot of responsibility. In 2010, with her parents’ encouragement, she was ready to establish her own company. Fraynd had a personal milestone that year, too: In the summer, she met the man she would marry. They now have four kids.

“Cece Feinberg PR was my only job before I went out on my own. The trust and freedom I had there gave me the confidence to build my business. I’m forever grateful for that foundation,” says Fraynd.

Yaya Publicity’s first client was a jewelry brand, thanks to a chance encounter Fraynd had at an airport. Her second client was designer Jennifer Zeuner, who remains with the firm to this day. From there, Fraynd decided to specialize in jewelry—and she’s never looked back.

“PR is about people, and jewelry is deeply personal. It’s a space I truly connect with,” she says. “Jewelry is how we tell our story. I’ve always been someone who’ll spend on accessories and keep the outfit simple—tee, jeans, and great jewelry is a perfect look to me.”

(Photos courtesy of Yaya Publicity)