We’re looking forward to introducing you to Shae Stein. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Shae, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Honestly, my biggest joy lately is my son, Ryatt. He was born in October 2024, and it’s crazy how much peace and energy he brings into my life. After long days designing or managing everything at RARE-ROMANCE, just being with him resets me completely. I love playing with him, roughhousing already. He’s this tiny ball of chaos and laughter, and I can’t get enough of it.
He’s also become our newest little model. Every time we post him in a hat or necklace, he somehow gets more attention than the rest of us combined. He’s already part of the brand without even trying.
Watching him grow, laugh, and start to understand the world makes everything else make sense. It’s the purest kind of inspiration. He reminds me why I work so hard, to build something he can be proud of, something real that he’ll grow up around and see what love, art, and hard work can create. RARE-ROMANCE has always been a family-first brand, and now that family just feels even more complete with him in it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Shae, the founder and designer behind RARE-ROMANCE. My wife Marou and I built this brand from nothing but love, and the need to create a life together. We met in New York and spent a couple of months together before she had to go back home to Belgium. From that moment on, all we wanted was to be together, but we didn’t have the money or the means to make that happen. We were stuck on opposite sides of the world, talking every day on FaceTime, trying to figure out how to turn love into a plan.
That’s when RARE-ROMANCE was born. We decided to create something that could not only bring us together but also give us the creative and financial freedom we both dreamed of. We started with nothing. No investors, no connections, just our skills, our belief in each other, and a shared obsession to make it work. Every dollar we had went straight into the brand. The learning curve was steep, and we failed a lot, but each setback became part of our story.
Now we’re based in Los Angeles, running a global jewelry and accessories brand that has grown into a full creative world. RARE-ROMANCE sits somewhere between luxury and rebellion. It was a reaction to seeing inflated priced luxury items that are made of brass and tarnish in days. I design everything myself, from jewelry to hats and accessories, inspired by art history, music, and a little bit of chaos. Our pieces mix heavy metal and emotion. Every piece tells a story, and every story connects back to our community.
What makes us special is that we don’t follow trends or chase hype. We create from real emotion and experience, and people can feel that. Whether it’s a pendant, a trucker hat, or a cross ring, everything is designed to feel like a relic from our universe, something raw, eternal, and made to outlive trends.
It started as a love story built through distance, struggle, and drive, and it still is.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Without question, my wife Marou. She’s taught me everything about what real work looks like. I’ve always been the creative one, chasing ideas, designing, building things from emotion, but she’s the one who grounded it all and turned it into something sustainable.
When we started RARE-ROMANCE, I didn’t know anything about the business side of fashion. She figured it out from scratch and became an expert in every part of it. Watching her taught me what real discipline and focus look like. She doesn’t complain, she just gets it done.
She’s also the one who reminds me that hard work isn’t just about hours and effort. It’s about consistency, patience, and trusting your vision even when no one else gets it yet. We built this brand together, but she built the structure that keeps it alive.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell my younger self to stop worrying about being understood. The people who don’t get you now are the reason you’ll build your own world later. Keep creating, even when no one sees it. Keep dreaming, even when it feels stupid.
I’d tell him that the pain, the doubt, the small-town noise; all of it will become fuel. You’ll find someone who believes in you completely, and together you’ll build something that proves every doubt wrong. You’ll live off your art, travel the world, and turn all that struggle into something beautiful.
Most of all, I’d tell him that everything he’s been made fun of for will become the reason people love his work. Just keep going.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is just me. I wouldn’t even know how to fake being someone else because it takes too much effort to act. I might be an artist and designer when I’m working, but in my free time I’m a dad and a jock. I don’t wear jewelry, I don’t dress loud, and I don’t have tattoos. My closet is all black athletic clothes and sweats. I spend a lot of time playing sports or working out. You’d never guess I’m the creative founder of a fashion jewelry brand.
Music is a big part of what inspires me and my work, but I hate going to shows. I have a lot of friends in the LA music scene, and it’s great for connections, but that lifestyle isn’t for me. I’d rather stay in and draw, read, play games, or go for a ride. Anything that fuels my creativity or keeps me moving.
I think that’s why people connect with what we do. It’s real. I don’t fake it or try to play a role. Sometimes I think it would be easier to grow the brand under an alias, but that’s not who I am. I’m not an influencer and I don’t want to be one. RARE ROMANCE is my creative outlet. It’s how I express the artistic side of me. I don’t know how to be anyone else, and honestly, that’s my edge. I can dunk a basketball and still be fascinated by the beauty and craftsmanship of a woman’s designer handbag.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
I usually know I’m out of my depth when I stop feeling curious and start feeling lost. When I hit a point where nothing’s clicking, that’s when I know I need to step back, learn more, or bring in someone who knows what they’re doing.
But honestly, being out of my depth is kind of where I live. RARE-ROMANCE was built in the deep end. We had no background in fashion or manufacturing when we started, we just figured it out as we went. That chaos forced me to grow fast.
Now I don’t see it as a bad thing. Feeling out of your depth means you’re pushing into something new. If you’re too comfortable, you’re not evolving. I’d rather drown a little and learn to swim than sit on the edge watching everyone else jump in.
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
