We were lucky to catch up with Shae Stein recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shae, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The very first moment that I can recall was when I would watch Dragon Ball Z as a kid. I would look at the characters and have the urge to sketch them. What came next was video games and music. Whenever I talked about my creative interests, I would get teased. Creative expression was not common. I would still express it as much as I could, like by wearing a necklace, but I would always hide it underneath my shirt. I never had the confidence to go against what was the norm growing up. That feeling alone was what made me start this brand. I wanted to make pieces that’ll make anyone confident no matter what their circumstances were.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the fashion industry through graphic design. I studied business and graphic design in college because I’ve always been infatuated with branding and how a brand speaks to someone. How someone can find their best selves through the power of a brand’s distinction and goods. How even a symbol can make someone fall in love with what the brand signifies. RARE-ROMANCE was an outlet for me to dive into an industry that I’ve never been able to be a part of. From all the outcasting I was put through for having an interest in the arts, I used what I learned in school to start on this endeavor. How the company was birthed specifically is a very personal story. I fell in love with Marou, now my wife, back when I lived in New York. Shortly after, she had to go back to her home country of Belgium. We were forced to share our time together through FaceTime. We both didn’t make much money, living paycheck to paycheck in cramped living spaces. Something had to change because I couldn’t be without her and she deserved the world. So, we got to starting RARE-ROMANCE; inspired by the love we shared for each other and our story. With her incredible wit and my artistry, we were able to start a brand that allowed us to live together. Now, we live in Los Angeles running the coolest brand in the world.

We started off with jewelry in 2019, but in 2022 we dropped our first bag and it went crazy. It has given us the confidence to go into more accessories. I’ve designed four new bags and some clothing items that will be dropping this year. We’re just here to provide the dopest wearables with luxury quality at an accessible price.

It’s always been about providing confidence to people. We all want to have a concrete item to represent who we are and to have something to hold to confidently traverse through this world. We’re not about selling trendy items to make a buck. We sell pieces of art that will last a lifetime and make an impact on one’s day-to-day lifestyle.
I am most proud of my wife and my team. I simply could not have done any of this without Marou. She has led us through thick and thin. I’m also most proud of how genuine we are with our customers. We have the best customer service and have such a strong connection with our followers. We take the time to listen to their stories. We take the time to share our stories too. We’re really not just a brand, we’re a community that people have found their place in. The way we work together as a team, as a family really, oozes into how our followers feel. RR Fam all the way.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Initially, my goal was simply to be with my wife and have the financial freedom both of us were never lucky enough to have, while still being able to do what we love. Now, though, the goals are never-ending. Once we accomplish one thing, there’s always another goal we want to achieve next. We work our hardest to set goals for ourselves because that’s what drives us. Right now, we want to provide cool luxury fashion to people with prices that aren’t out of hand; accessible quality fashion that’s actually cool. Our followers are so passionate about our brand that we always uphold ourselves to the highest standards to give products that our customers deserve. We make shit we want to make and know our customers want to own.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

You cannot let what you learn in school be how you should handle business because if you do, you’re constraining your potential. Every day you’re met with challenges that you could never learn in school. You have to be malleable with trial and error because no brand is the same. In terms of unlearning the rules of design, you can take our logo for example. Our logo isn’t designed with conventional design methods. It’s vertically very long and doesn’t follow the script of brand recognition that begs you to make a logo that spells out what the company is. However, it’s intriguing, it’s refreshing, and it takes inspiration from history yet looks new age.
Take what you learn in school and absorb it, but don’t make it your touchstone. Despite what people say, business is a very feeling industry. You have to be empathetic and think with emotion at times. It’s not just numbers. You have to be empathetic with the times and with your customers. You just can’t be too emotional. I still struggle when something goes wrong and become too devastated about it, but as you deal with these problems, they’re less serious every time. Don’t let failures hinder you. Learn from them and push forward. You have to find joy in the problems because the bigger you get, the more problems you run into.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rare-romance.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rareromance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rarermnce
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rareromance