POOLSIDE's founder, Ashleigh Stone, started the brand in 2015 when she opened a multi-brand boutique called "Poolside Collective" in Montauk. The boutique stocked up-and-coming brands from around the world, all of which were extremely appropriate for vacation and poolside lifestyle. The brand quickly grew with a cult-following of locals and visitors from around the world, who would look forward to shopping at Poolside Collective each summer.
The one thing Ashleigh didn't sell in her store was straw beach bags, because she could never find ones that she loved. Ashleigh launched the POOLSIDE collection of handbags in Summer 2016, via her store, her own website and an exclusive global distribution partnership with Moda Operandi.