S9 Ep27 DON'T LET DISCO: Ashley Moubayed, collector and curator of vintage and antique beads - on upcycling to create limited-edition jewelry, and honoring the life within every bead. — Pre-Loved Podcast with Emily Stochl

On today's show, we're chatting with Ashley Moubayed, the founder of Don't Let Disco. Don't Let Disco sources uniquely crafted beads, often vintage or antique, and one-of-a-kind, to upcycle into limited-edition jewelry, honoring the life within every bead.

Don't Let Disco is a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, and this New York Fashion Week, Ashley will be showing her Spring/Summer 2026 collection – Pre-Loved got you a special sneak peek into some of the pieces and their stories, and I can't wait to share these with you.

Everything about Don't Let Disco embraces the spirit of pre-loved, and I can't wait for you to hear Ashley's stories– let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

[4:55] Ashley loved fashion as a young child, and she particularly gravitated toward jewelry.
[5:52] In college, she started upcycling jewelry for her friends.
[11:46] Her grandmother collected coins and her grandfather collected stamps, so Ashley has a fondness for both.
[17:54] Working in the fine arts at Sotheby's
[25:05] While at Sotheby's, Ashley was full of creative inspiration and started making beaded jewelry.
[33:17] How Don't Let Disco started working with The RealReal
[35:58] What we can expect from the Spring/Summer 2026 collection, which premiers this week.
[39:21] The Don't Let Disco beading bars

EPISODE MENTIONS:

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