Street Style: Meet Jess Moak and Elena Rall of Eries Interiors
When Renée and I walk into Eries, Jess is glancing into a mirror and debating boots and tights vs. heels. She’s rocking a short pleather skirt and it’s 20 degrees outside, but we vote for heels. Elena, her close friend and business partner agrees, and together they command a striking presence – ready for a night out, and definitely for our photo shoot. We also opt to stay inside, no one is willing to brave the wind chill and the heat is pumping comfortably.
Jess shares the cold doesn’t really phase her too much. “I’m from Homer, a place in central New York, about 30 minutes south of Syracuse; Elena is also from Syracuse. My dad is an entrepreneur, owns a wholesale lumber business with plants in the mid-Atlantic, and a retail kitchen and bath store. So small business has always been a part of my life. I’m 100 thousand percent his child.”
She moved to “a bunch of places after college (she attended University of Richmond). I never knew what I wanted to be…the 20-something’s challenge. I went to Boston on a whim, and lived on Block Island for six months waiting tables, it was wild. When my sister was going to grad school in Philly I said, ‘I’ll come with you.’ I then moved back to my hometown for six years, and many thought I’d be the one to take over my dad’s business. Long term it just wasn’t the right fit. It’s a very small town, and I love going home, but I was floundering.”
Jessica Moak and Elena Rall of Eries Interiors
JESS MOAK & ELENA RALL
Photography: Renée C. Gage Photography
On Jess: Vintage YSL Pussybow blouse; Alice + Olivia Carter Vegan mini skirt; Loeffler Randall Black Moiré bow mule; The Pink Reef earrings
On Elena: The Pink Reef earrings, Loeffler Randal heels from Bishop Boutique, A.L.C. skirt
Shoot location: Eries Interiors, 101 S. St. Asaph Street
Jess then tried Baltimore and later arrived in D.C. and found a place in Old Town. “As a 31-year-old who had worked for my dad’s business, I found it very hard to find a position. At a temp agency they asked, ‘How do you feel about Big Oil?’ I spent the next 11 years working in corporate. I did a bit of everything – marketing and creative work, training and certifications, policy. When I hit my 10-year-mark, everyone was congratulating me, and I’m thinking ‘this isn’t me’. At this point after having spent a decade in D.C. everything is good – my kids are thriving, beautiful home in a great neighborhood, love my friends and my life except for this one thing that I spend most of my time doing – work and my job, because it’s not my passion.”
She continues, “One night Elena and I were sitting at the bar at Thompson Italian and I was telling her about my plan to open a store.” They’ve been friends for about three years, having met through a mutual friend in Old Town. “I did not want to have mass produced art; I wanted all the pieces to be original works. And sitting beside me was my beautiful friend Elena…and I have four pieces of her work in my dining room. I said, ‘we should do this together.’ The next morning I was wondering if that conversation really happened.” It did.
They opened Eries Interiors in September of 2024. Jess has tremendous appreciation for Elena’s work. “I think she is an amazing talent and should be in everyone’s house. She’s the more introverted one, a pure creative. And it all came together. I couldn’t have opened the shop without her – the support, the feedback, all the things.”
I ask if they have similar styles in interior design and Jess says, “We’re a good fit. When I walked into her house, I thought, ‘she gets it, she has good taste.’ If she had a different style, we wouldn’t have done this together. We’re both lovers of eclectic styling. I have pieces that are brand new and my mantle is from the 1720s, my chairs are from the 1830s. The new and the old. The old provides character and the store represents that. I grew up in a candlestick home. My dad is a huge history buff and my parents’ house is full of gorgeous, insane antiques. Our first window display just had to have brass candle sticks! I’ve also noticed since we opened that people go crazy for animals…cat planters…dog toothpick holders, alligator match holders…anything with an animal on it.”
Their customers are 70 percent locals. “One of my favorite things is our repeat customers…the people who come in every time they need a gift. The fact that this happened so soon is a joy for me. I went into three people’s homes before the holidays and decorated their mantels for Christmas. And I’d love to do more of that. Eries is not where I work, it’s a part of my life. My nine-year-old daughter, Maeve, talks to everyone. My son Henry is six and loves gaming, so he’ll take his iPad and sit in the corner, but they both love checking out customers. They get to be part of it.”
There are currently five local artists on display in the shop, all Alexandrian women. One of them is Mila Aida, Elena's 16-year-old daughter, who has already sold three original watercolors! “She’s one of our shop girls and she’s family.” Jess says they've finally reached a point where they’re able to breathe a bit and focus on their vision to grow and feature more local artists. If you haven’t been to Eries Interiors yet, drop in and say hello and until then, check out Jess and Elena’s Street Style:
Jessica Moak
ABOUT JESS
Neighborhood: Waynewood
Hometown: Homer, NY — our roots in Central NY are the origin of the name “Eries.”
What would surprise people about you? I love Valentine’s Day. I love the hearts (on everything), the excuse to gift and show extra love, and the general “extraness” of the holiday.
Favorite movie: American Psycho, weird follow up to the previous answer, but it’s so good.
Guilty Pleasure: Spoonfuls of chunky peanut butter.
Latest binge-watch: Shrinking on Apple TV.
Bucket list travel destination: Kyoto, Japan
Elena Rall
ABOUT ELENA
Neighborhood: Old Town, Alexandria
What is your hometown? Syracuse, NY
What would surprise people about you? Ever since I was little I would see faces in EVERYTHING, it’s called Pareidolia. Which might not be surprising given where my career has taken me—my love of working in portraits and figures!
Favorite book: Sea of Tranquility still has a big place in my heart.
Guilty Pleasure: Going through fantasy audiobook tears that last weeks.
Latest binge-watch: Pachinko on Apple TV.
Bucket list travel destination: My Yiayia’s ancestral villages in Greece.
STYLE
Define your style in three words or less.
Jess: Extra; Black; (Buffalo Bills) Sweatpants
Elena: Creative. Adventurous. Changeable.
The go-to piece in your wardrobe?
Jess: Currently, black pleather mini.
Elena: Currently the mini skort.
Favorite trend?
Jess: Sambas comeback
Elena: The ugly shoe theory. You know, when your outfit needs a little something, you just throw on an unexpected shoe choice.
Beauty product you can’t live without?
Jess: A red lip.
Elena: I had a long internal struggle between mascara and a red lip, and I think it has to be loads of brown mascara.
Boots, heels or sneakers?
Jess: Loafers
Elena: Sneakers; you just need to have a collection of varying colors and silhouettes.
WELLNESS
Go-to way to de-stress?
Jess: A dirty Hendricks martini at Josephine with Elena.
Elena: Taking a pal with me to enjoy a dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives at Josephine.
Most fun way to stay active?
Jess: Excessively long walks on the Mt Vernon Trail.
Elena: MVMNT classes!
Wellness goal?
Jess: Go back to the gym.
Elena: To get more sleep.
Want to try:
Jess: A MVMNT class.
Elena: LED mask.
Proudest wellness achievement:
Jess: I walked to and from the Jefferson Memorial and then did a couple laps around my neighborhood to hit 26.2 miles, and afterwards, ate a burger from The People’s Drug.
Elena: Upping the weights is always a thrill! I also don’t hate that I’m always surpassing the ‘stand goal’ ever since we started working on opening Eries and now when I’m in the store.
HOME
Favorite room in your home?
Jess: Living room/kitchen combo.
Elena: Living room.
Antiques, modern, or a mix?
Jess: Always a mix, but my heart belongs to pieces with a history.
Elena: I grew up being surrounded by beautiful antiques and that fostered a real appreciation for collecting pieces that have a story in my home.
Last item bought for your home?
Jess: Sewing table for my 9 yo daughter who wants to be a fashion designer.
Elena: Staffordshire dog figurines.
Favorite way to entertain?
Jess: Too much food, plenty of wine, kids everywhere, and everyone staying too late.
Elena: Serving hors d'oeuvres we made from the dogeared Greek cookbook my great-grandmother contributed to, while listening to a great playlist.
Clutter-free or well-lived in?
Jess: Neat, but more is more.
Elena: I need clean surfaces or I’m not functioning. I’m fun.
Next planned purchase?
Jess: Caviar spoon and dish from Eries for Galentine’s.
Elena: Gallery-style lighting for our art collection.
ALEXANDRIA
What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook?
Jess: The women who run it and collaborate on it—top tier humans.
Elena: I love how Alexandria Stylebook highlights this community and showcases really cool businesses and people in our area.
Favorite spot in Alexandria?
Jess: In Old Town, Eries, of course; in greater Alexandria, it’s hard to beat the Mount Vernon Trail from Waynewood to Old Town.
Elena: I love walking my dog along the waterfront and the Mount Vernon trail.
Your go-to shop?
Jess: ERA; a beautifully curated store, plus Hattie and Tiffani are the best.
Elena: I make the rounds to my many favorites! Most recently been loving ERA.
Best food spot?
Jess: Josephine, best neighbor, fantastic happy hour.
Elena: You will often find my family at Caphe Banh Mi.
Favorite local organization?
Jess: The Art League
Elena: The Art League
Annual Alexandria event you most look forward to?
Jess: Scottish Christmas Walk – this year was particularly magical experiencing it at our store with our families.
Elena: I love attending the celebration of Alexandria’s anniversary with my family. Give me a concert on the waterfront with cannons punctuating the 1812 Overture every time!
