Office Ambush: POOLSIDE

Founded on the idea that vacation is a state of mind, POOLSIDE has become synonymous with effortless style and slow fashion. What began as a line of hand-embroidered beach bags dreamed up on a winter trip to St. Barths has evolved into a globally recognized accessories brand, celebrated for its playful spirit, sustainable craftsmanship and cult-favorite designs.

At the helm is Ashleigh Stone, whose thoughtful approach to design blends creativity with intention. By working with female artisans around the world, Stone has built a brand that celebrates both artistry and ease.

We spent the day with Ashleigh inside her light-drenched Soho office, where inspiration lives in every corner: from colorful fabric samples to travel mementos and framed family photos. Here’s how she stays inspired, organized and forever in a vacation state of mind.

Q&A with Ashleigh Stone

Kassatex: First thing you do every morning when you get to the office?
Ashleigh Stone: I tend to dive right in. I’ve recently started to break each day into 15-30 minute increments with recurring meetings each week for high priority to-dos and weekly responsibilities.

Kassatex: Any superstitious items you must have in your office?
AS: Nothing superstitious, but I do like to have a lot of inspiration where I can see it. I have yarn organized by color in a rainbow displayed through lucite bins. I keep archive bag styles and samples out and in front of me, along with fabric, material, mood boards, and fabric samples.

Kassatex: First item you purchased for your office when you started?
AS: The first thing I purchased was large white foam boards from Blick, which I use as working mood boards, as well as a way to display our design process for the upcoming season. If I have an idea, or a fabric that I love but can’t use quite yet, I have it pinned to the boards.

Kassatex: How do you like to keep your desk: Organized chaos or Marie Kondo would be proud?
AS: Marie Kondo all day every day. I need it to be immaculate in order to focus. However, it’s inevitable that my desk periodically becomes a heap of paperwork, notebooks, photos, drawings, trim samples, etc..

Kassatex: Where do you do your best creative thinking in the office?
AS: For me, it’s more about time of day. I like early mornings, quiet surroundings, and dim natural lighting. I achieve the most creatively when I know that I have the time to think. When our Design Director is in town, I like to spread out on large tables with lots of sample bags– we physically merchandise the collection and talk about what we want to do.

Kassatex: What colors are a must in your office to keep the creative vibes flowing and sanity in check?
AS: I tend to like open, neutral colored spaces with a lot of natural light.

Kassatex: Any special memento from a mentor?
AS: I’ve learned so much from all of my collaborators, and from every experience I’ve had while building POOLSIDE. I like to be surrounded by mementos from travel, past collaborations, press, and more. This includes things like POOLSIDE x J.Crew hang tags, a menu from the tea we hosted for our Harrod’s launch, a framed POOLSIDE toile design from our partnership with Tuck Shop, artisan baskets I’ve collected from around the world, and more.

Kassatex: When are you most creative: morning or afternoon?
AS: Early AM! That is when I feel the most energized!

Kassatex: Most prized possession in the office?
AS: All of the momentos I listed above– while they don’t hold any sort of real value, these items tell my story and remind me to be proud of everything I’ve accomplished, even when we’re facing challenges at work.

Kassatex: Desk Beauty Must Haves:
AS: POOLSIDE No. 1 Perfume
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Vanilla (I wear it during the day too)
Barefaced Clean Slate Spritz
Living Libations Rosehips Oil
YSE Beauty Skin Glow SPF
POOLSIDE Coconut Body Oil

Kassatex: For a post work cocktail, where is your watering hole and what is your beverage of choice?
AS: A campari soda at Bar Pisellino!

Kassatex: Three words to describe your brand?
AS: Classic, playful, sustainable.

Kassatex: Go to music playlist while working?
AS: I love music, but I prefer to work in silence. If I have music on, I like it to be more like background noise or Christmas music during the holidays!

Kassatex: Finish this sentence: Every day I find inspiration __________.
AS: All around me.

Kassatex: Words to live by:
AS: Trust your intuition!