When it comes to New York-based jewelry labels, few are currently buzzier than Don’t Let Disco, the Brooklyn-based house founded by designer Ashley Moubayed. Though the brand has flown under the radar in recent years as an ‚if you know, you know‚ cult favorite, it held its first event during the New York Fashion Week […]
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When it comes to New York-based jewelry labels, few are currently buzzier than Don’t Let Disco, the Brooklyn-based house founded by designer Ashley Moubayed. Though the brand has flown under the radar in recent years as an ‚if you know, you know‚ cult favorite, it held its first event during the New York Fashion Week calendar last season, and now, just a few months later, it’s expanding its influence even further with its first-ever fine jewelry line, created for the Fall/Winter 2026 season.
At the center of the label lie beads—and lots of them. Moubayed says that out of all of the shapes, forms, and media out there, she’s most drawn to the expressive little objects and has firmly rooted them in the foundation of her label—because after all, jewelry is about feeling, both in a tactile sense and on an emotional level.
„I definitely think about sentiment when I design. Jewelry lives differently than clothing; it stays with you, it marks moments, and it becomes part of your personal history,“ Moubayed tells L’OFFICIEL. „I’m drawn to materials that already carry character or a sense of past life, because that depth makes the piece feel personal from the start.“
Five years into Don’t Let Disco, Moubayed felt the urge to go even deeper with the label and the intentionality behind it.
„This season felt like a natural evolution. The brand has always been rooted in objects with permanence, pieces meant to be collected and lived with — so moving into fine jewelry felt less like a departure and more like a deepening,“ she explains. „The undrilled orb construction requires a higher level of craftsmanship and materiality, and it felt like the right moment to honor that with 18k gold. It’s a way of formalizing the language we’ve already been building.“
Just before New York Fashion Week wrapped up yet another successful season, L’OFFICIEL caught up with Moubayed ahead of her label’s latest ultra-buzzy presentation to unpack her fine jewelry debut.
L’OFFICIEL: This line drew on numerous colorful stones like citrine, carnelian, and unakite. How do these gems (packed with their own individual meanings and symbolic meanings) play into the larger theme of the collection?
ASHLEY MOUBAYED: The collection is centered on light, how it moves, how it’s held, how it’s reflected back. Rock crystal gives us that classic “pool of light” glow, while stones like carnelian and citrine bring warmth and heat, almost like captured sunlight. Unakite and moqui stones ground everything with a more earthy, tactile presence. Together, they create a balance between ethereal and terrestrial—light suspended, but still anchored to the earth.
L’O: Victorian pool of light crystals are at the center of the collection. How did you first encounter them, and how does that memory resonate with you?
AM: I first encountered pools of light through antique jewelry. What immediately stood out to me was how the crystal doesn’t just reflect light—it gathers it and softens it. It almost absorbs what’s around it and gives it back in a quieter way. That subtlety stayed with me, and this collection is really our way of revisiting that construction through our own lens.
L’O: With each collection, beads play a fundamental role in the construction and visual identity of your work. With this special collection, why did it feel especially important to include the bead in the fine jewelry pieces?
AM: Adornment began with the bead; it’s one of the earliest forms of human expression. For us, the bead has always been a core unit of meaning, whether it’s vintage glass, found materials, or something more precious. With this collection, we didn’t want to abandon that language; we wanted to evolve it. The orb is an evolution of the bead—it’s still the core unit of the piece, just translated into fine jewelry.
L’O: In general, do you prefer creating pieces that lean into more minimalistic silhouettes or eye-catching, out-there designs?
AM: I think we sit somewhere in between. The silhouettes are usually quite considered and intentional, but the materials and color can feel expressive. That balance is really core to the brand, pieces that have presence without feeling overwhelming. I’m always drawn to that tension between refinement and individuality.
L’O: When it comes to jewelry across the ages, is there a particular movement or era of jewelry trends (Victorian, for example) that you find especially compelling or inspiring?
AM: I’m drawn to Brutalist jewelry from the ’60s and ’70s, especially Danish designers. I love how it’s sculptural and raw, focusing on form and material rather than being overly decorative.
L’O: Right now, are there any jewelry trends taking the industry by storm that you particularly love—or hate?
AM: One thing I struggle with is how normalized high markups on plated jewelry have become. There’s nothing wrong with plating, but I think there should be more transparency around materials and longevity. I’m always more interested in pieces that are made to last, thoughtful construction, or materials that age well.
