Ashley Moubayed has always been surrounded by objects that meant something. Raised in a family of collectors, she learned early on that what we keep is never without intention. Now, through her work with Don’t Let Disco, she continues that lineage in her own way, building pieces that carry history forward while allowing space for new meaning to take shape.
In this week’s SIDIA Stories, she reflects on what it means to create something that lasts — not just physically, but emotionally. We talk about her time at Sotheby’s, where objects outlived the people who first loved them, and how that shifted her approach to design. From long walks through New York to the discipline of trusting her eye, Ashley’s work is grounded in attention — the kind that lets meaning unfold slowly, and holds its place over time.
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Your grandfather collected stamps, your grandmother collected coins, your mother collected estate sale finds. You collect beads. What do you think gets passed down in a family of collectors, beyond the objects themselves?
"Growing up in a family of collectors taught me that objects are never neutral. They carry stories, memories, and meaning that build over time. What gets passed down isn’t just the objects themselves, but the instinct to recognize when something is worth holding onto. Collecting teaches you how to live with things. It’s slow and patient, and it helps you trust your eye and follow what draws you in. You start to see meaning unfold naturally, without forcing it. With beads, it feels like a continuation of that same language. Each one comes with its own history, and I get to place it into a new structure where that history reads in a different way. What gets passed down is that form of attention, and the idea of letting each piece find its place."
Years at Sotheby's meant living amongst objects that had outlived everyone who ever loved them. What did that do to the way you see the things you make?
"It made me think a lot about what actually stays. At Sotheby’s you’re constantly surrounded by objects that have moved through multiple lives. The people who first chose them, wore them, lived with them are gone, but the object is still there, carrying some trace of that attachment. It made me realize that longevity is not just about durability, it is about whether something holds enough meaning for someone to keep it, to pass it on, to let it outlive them.
That shifted the way I approach making. I’m less interested in creating something that feels perfect in the moment and more interested in whether it can keep unfolding over time. Whether it can take on new meaning as it moves between people and contexts. In a way, it made me more comfortable with the idea that the work is only partially mine. You make the object, but its real life begins when someone else chooses to keep it."
You believe that taste is confidence, that it is the courage to be unapologetic about your own vision. When did you first feel that certainty in yourself, and what did it cost you to get there?
"I first felt it when I realized that designing toward approval never worked for me. It cost me moments of doubt and hesitation, but over time I learned that following my eye and instincts was the only way to make work that actually felt necessary."
"Every bead, every stone has a history, and wearing it is a way of honoring that while making it personal."
Your best ideas come on long, meditative walks from Uptown to Downtown. Is there a specific street, a certain time of day, or a recurring image in New York that always seems to unlock something creative in you?
"There’s something about the geometry and grandeur of New York’s Art Deco architecture that always sparks my imagination. The way light hits those ornate facades in the late afternoon, especially along Fifth Avenue, feels like watching craftsmanship meet modernity. It reminds me how timeless design can be both structured and expressive, and that balance often inspires my own creative process."
Don't Let Disco was built around the idea of not letting things go — preserving what matters, finding the treasure in what others discard. What do you hope people are really holding onto when they wear one of your pieces?
"I hope they’re holding onto the sense that each piece carries time and memory, that it’s been shaped by what came before and now becomes part of their own story. Every bead, every stone has a history, and wearing it is a way of honoring that while making it personal."
You've said that the things you're most drawn to have the power to alter your mood — that that quality alone makes something a necessity. Which Sidia fragrance has that kind of inevitability for you?
"For me, Braless has that kind of effect. It instantly shifts my mood, and there’s a warmth and ease to it that feels really grounding. It’s confident but relaxed, like that moment when you finally unwind after a long day. It just feels effortless, which is why I keep coming back to it."
Ashley's Ritual:
