Shay Mitchell On BÉIS’s New Woven Bags & Social Distancing With Baby Atlas: EXCLUSIVE
On The New Woven Collection
If you were already lusting after the OG BÉIS lineup of rolling luggage and tote bags, prepare to be even more enticed by the Woven Collection. “This collection is special because it is the first full collection that completely strays from what we have built so far,” Mitchell tells STYLECASTER. “2019 was our first full calendar year, and we were hyper-focused on building out our core collection, establishing a through-line in aesthetic, and honing in on those ‘special features,’ that we wanted all of our bags to have,” she explains.
The new range includes two brand-new bags, The Everyday Tote and The Everyday Backpack, plus the beloved Weekender silhouette in the all-new woven fabric. Michell stresses how multi-functional the new bags are: “For example, The Everyday Tote can double as both a work tote or bag for a quick overnight, but the organizational insert actually comes out with the chain to be used as a clutch…eliminating the need for globetrotters to bring both their bag and a purse!” Hi, need that right now, thanks. And leave it to Mitchell to have me obsessed with a backpack in 2020. Can you believe? “I also am admittedly not the biggest backpack carrier,” she says, “but our new Everyday Backpack has a dynamic asymmetrical zipper design—as well as RFID protected pockets—which appeals to me as more of a functional fashion piece.” I can’t lie: It’s probs the chicest backpack I’ve ever seen.
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On Why She Really Started BÉIS
Mitchell isn’t one to start something just for the sake of it, so I was curious to know more about her brand’s origin story. “When I started BÉIS, it was with the hope that someday we could become the go-to travel bag and accessories brand for all people in motion, so we actually started off with bags that were able to be used for work, weekend getaways, carry-ons and daily use, then expanded into luggage halfway through our first year,” explains Mitchell. “While our Rollers are of course in our top-10 bestsellers, some of the pieces that are intended for more frequent use like the Work Tote, Weekender and Mini Weekender are in the top five!”
When I ask how she thinks BÉIS bags stand up to their competitors, Mitchell makes her feelings clear: “What competition, lol?” she laughs. “I’m biased—obviously—but I, of course, think all of our bags more than stack up against the competition,” she says. “The most innate desire for me to create BÉIS was a result of me traveling for years and years and never finding the ‘perfect’ bag. I saw a white space in a marketplace that I found was lacking in bags that both looked good and were highly functional.” It’s that combination of practicality and style that Mitchell believes puts BÉIS in a league of its own. “Since launching BÉIS, we have always strived to pack as much punch into each bag as possible from a functional standpoint, while also heavily focusing on design and aesthetic,” she says.
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On New Mom Life & 2020 Goals
If you’ve been obsessed with Mitchell since her Pretty Little Liars days, you know she’s always got a million things on her plate, and she consistently knocks them all out of the park. “Honestly, my schedule is definitely jam-packed—especially with being a mom now—but I tend to thrive when I am SUPER busy, and I love love love having a consistent focus and project to put my energy into,” she says.
Mitchell’s pregnancy announcement post back in June was the ‘Gram liked round the world, and after giving birth to baby Atlas in October 2019, she’s embraced all the newness that comes with being a mom. “My life has totally changed since becoming a mom, but in many ways, it has also remained the same,” she shares. “Before Atlas arrived I truly didn’t realize how much things were going to shift; I thought I would literally only not be working when I was in labor, and that I’d get back to my normal routine right away…lol.”
With her new role as a mother comes a new perspective for 2020. “2019 was my first full year as an entrepreneur, and this is my first full year as a mom,” Mitchell points out. “My objective at the start of the year was to just continue on my trajectory, but to do more. Things are totally shifting now that we are all hunkering down at home, so [I am] just taking things as they come and adjusting accordingly,” she says.
Her daughter has also taught her a thing or two about living in the moment: “Atlas has given me pause in all the best ways…I used to feel like being on the go meant being productive, but now I realize that I can be more tethered to home and still achieving all the things I’ve set out to do.” And Mitchell’s fave thing of all? “The best part of motherhood is being her mom and watching her change every day…every little milestone she hits amazes me. It is so fun (and challenging),” she says.
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On Social Distancing & Time At Home
Celebs, they’re just like us—in that they, too, are practicing social distancing right now. “[Social distancing] is absolutely a must. I am still seeing a lot of people out, creatively averting the ‘stay at home’ mandate, and I really hope people start taking this seriously,” Mitchell says. “Things are changing for everyone around the globe, and my family and I are no exception! We are absolutely staying at home per the recommendation to #flattenthecurve, as are my in-house and BÉIS teams.” Mitchell makes a good point when she points out the following: “The longer people push the boundaries and go out, the longer everyone is going to have to stay in.”
So, how does she plan on spending her time at home? “I am keeping myself busy and enjoying this time as much as I possibly can,” she shares. “Atlas is almost six months old and at a really fun age. We are taking the time we are both at home to sleep train and get her on a really specific schedule. I have also been cooking again, which I had gotten out of the habit of, and catching up on some shows.” As for her at-home look, Mitchell isn’t leaning too hard into a lazy-day aesthetic: “I love to get dressed up for the red carpet, but am also happy to be wearing more ‘stay home’ looks every day, regardless of quarantine, lol!” she says. “I’ve been told that to successfully work from home, you have to retain some structure…Wake up, make the bed, brush your teeth, get dressed,” she says, although she admits, “I’m really proud of myself at the moment if I make it out of my robe.” Girl, same.
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On Why She’s Not One To Give Advice
Given that Mitchell has managed to create a booming business with BÉIS, I was naturally curious to see if she had any tips for prospective entrepreneurs. “To be perfectly honest, I am not one that really likes to give advice, because I feel like what works for me might not work for others, and vice versa,” she says. “That said, as cheesy as it might sound, I would say the principles that I try to live by are to follow my heart, vision and intuition. I do things because I feel like I understand there is an opportunity, or because I really believe in what I’m doing, and think I can do a better job of what is already available.”
To treat yourself to a new bag from the Woven Collection or any other BÉIS faves, shop the entire range now on the BÉIS website, as well as retailers Revolve and Nordstrom.
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