ABOUT

Concept
After spending a decade designing for men, I was frustrated by two things in women’s fashion.

Functional details were often shallow and decorative rather than structural. I wanted every beautiful element to serve a real purpose.

At the same time, design felt polarized. Pieces were either overly ornate and difficult to wear with most of your wardrobe, or minimal to the point of being forgettable. I was interested in the middle ground. Expressive but wearable. Detailed but a closet staple.

Mary & Shelley began as a self-initiated product experiment to build that in-between.

The strap became the starting point. Instead of treating it as decoration, I used a real, adjustable guitar strap as the structural backbone of the bag.

From that system came two silhouettes: The Ritual, shaped like a guitar case, and The Casquette, shaped like a coffin.

Different forms. Same functional foundation.

Execution
Unconventional shapes are easy to sketch and difficult to engineer.

Both bags were developed from concept through pattern development, hardware sourcing, sampling, and production oversight. Strap anchors were reinforced to handle real load-bearing stress. Proportions were refined across multiple prototypes to prevent tipping and imbalance when worn crossbody.

Interior capacity was designed for daily use rather than novelty. Materials were sourced using high-quality deadstock leather to prioritize longevity and reduce unnecessary waste.

The Ritual emphasizes length, structure, and expanded capacity.
The Casquette compresses the geometry into a tighter form while maintaining the same strap system, inverted internally to preserve balance and durability.

Each piece is built on the same modular architecture.

Results
The collection launched commercially in June 2025 and quickly established a distinct position within independent accessories.

In September 2025, the collection was presented during New York Fashion Week, expanding its visibility within the fashion industry and validating the design concept in a live market setting.

Customers consistently respond to two things: the visual impact and the comfort of wear. Repeat purchasing across silhouettes has validated the modular system approach.

The project demonstrates that expressive design can maintain technical rigor, durability, and production viability without sacrificing identity.