Are Studio + Shaina Mote: 10 Years of Friendship and Creative Collaboration

 

We’re ending our anniversary celebration month with a special interview by our dear friend Shaina Mote. Shaina runs her eponymous clothing line and flagship store in Hudson, NY, where our designs are currently on view for a month-long pop-up. It feels fitting during this time, in particular, to be continuing our collaborations while we reflect on the last 10 years of our company. Shaina has been an incredibly supportive friend and creative partner to both Are Studio and its founder, Cecilia, throughout the years. Our collaborative projects include two bag designs - the Maura Tote and Amara Beaded Bag - a shared storefront in Brooklyn, NY in 2022, and now our pop-up at the Shaina Mote store in Hudson, NY.

We’re pleased to share this interview with Shaina, where she reflects on a decade of friendship and mutual creative alignment, while sharing about her favorite Are Studio bags and how they function in her life as a mother and business owner. 

 

Shaina, when did you first meet Cecilia? 

We met at an industry event ten years ago and became fast friends - visiting each other’s studios, sharing inspiration and ideas. The fact that we both owned small businesses with similar values and aesthetic appreciation helped forge a long-lasting collaborative friendship.

 

What are some favorite projects and cherished memories shared together? 

Being in a showroom space in NY and Paris together has been so special - traveling together and being able to find such a strong community in the design world is something I cherish more than anything. We of course have also created designs together: the Maura Bag and our special hand-beaded Amara bag. We both value enduring, understated and timeless designs so working together feels fluid and natural.

 

What Are Studio bag have you worn for the longest amount of time? 

I wear the Fehn bag daily - a sling style that can be worn over the shoulder or crossbody, depending on what I’m doing during the day.

 

What do you love most about it? What makes you reach for it daily?

I love how it looks slung across the front body – reminds me of early Prada accessories that almost feel like a garment, the way they integrate into an outfit. There are functional details I love about this bag: it’s easy to get in and out of, the leather is supple, it doesn't take up much real estate in the car, and it’s deceptively voluminous. 

 

How does it tie into your daily rituals and support your routine? 

This bag is so effortless and easy to carry. With two young children, I am often lugging many bags of things with me and this bag can stack on my body amidst it all.  At this point, it is an extension of me.  

 

How do Are Studio bags complement your style and the pieces you wear everyday from your own brand? 

Cecilia and I always laugh when we pull our collections out at our shared showroom in NY. Somehow, without fail, each season we end up with complimentary color stories. Her bags are clean, minimal but never lack a special touch - in the materials, design and construction themselves. They are timeless and well made, sitting naturally with my pieces, carrying the same attitude and design sensibility.

 

How have the bags evolved with you? What expressive function does a bag have for you?

When I became a mother, my identity was reborn in a sense – the function I need my clothing and bags to serve feels different now. I need more - more space to carry things, more ease of wear, more collapsible/ compact designs. I did not realize how effortlessly these pieces would evolve with me. I’ve always loved Cecilia's bags for their understated beauty, but now I love them for all that, plus their exceptional utility.

 

What do you find most fulfilling in a creative partnership?

I love the dialogue around a creative partnership. It is always so fulfilling to have conversations and explore beauty and function with someone you admire and respect so much.

 

What can we find in your bag today? 

My bag is on the wood bench by the door. Half open with a myriad of key items within: a rosewater mist floats in there with a wallet and some dried fruit for my son. There is probably a diaper and sunglasses and some lip balm. It’s a mess, but thankfully you’d never know – all enclosed in a tidy, little leather bag.

 

 

 

Shaina wears a past season Fehn Bag and current season Field Bag in Black.