Andrea never set out to start a clothing brand, but like many great ideas Arquia was born out of a real, everyday frustration that she and friend Shireen shared. As mothers of young children, they struggled to find baby and toddler clothes that struck the right balance: beautiful yet practical, minimal yet most importantly, well-made. 

What started as a personal pain point turned into a brand built on purpose, collaboration, and creative trust. The two brought different strengths to the table and shared a clear mission: to design clothing for little ones that honored both form and function.

“We wanted to offer parents stylish and thoughtfully designed clothing for their babies, but without compromising the quality,” Andrea says.

Arquia isn’t loud or flashy. It’s understated, refined, and deeply intentional—a reflection of the friends behind it. Launching a new brand, especially in a digital-first world, meant navigating a steep learning curve...

“We were used to big budgets, to having agencies and teams and a lot of people helping us,” Andrea reflects. “And now it was just the two of us trying to stand out, especially in social media. It's not that easy to be seen, and especially if you're also trying to transmit a quality level that if people don't touch it, it's really hard for them to actually feel it.”

Conveying the rich, tactile nature of their products online was a creative challenge in itself. But Andrea and Shireen didn’t let that stop them. Instead, they leaned into the process. They did the design work, the marketing, the packing, the fulfillment– all of it. It wasn’t always smooth, but it was theirs. 

As the Arquia community grew, so did the product line. Today, the brand has expanded beyond baby clothes to include toddler and adult pieces, always with the same attention to detail and design. They’re also exploring artist collaborations and limited-edition prints, but only when the creative fit feels right. 

“We want to be able to be very creative,” Andrea says, “ [while also] keeping our modern, minimalistic tone that we are building from the start.”

Arquia isn’t just a product of motherhood; it’s a reflection of it: adaptive, creative, value-driven, and rooted in care. And as the fast-fashion industry continues to spin, Andrea and Shireen are doubling down on something different.

“I think slow fashion and intentional fashion [are] becoming more important.”

It’s clear that for them, this is about more than just beautiful clothes. It’s about how those clothes are made, how they’re worn, and the kind of world their kids will grow up in.

“I think both of us feel like we really hope that people can remember us as creative and thoughtful people,” Andrea shares. “We put a lot of thought and passion into everything we do—as moms, as friends, as entrepreneurs—and we really hope that what we're doing now also has a positive impact in raising our kids, and that our kids grow up to be thoughtful and passionate adults as well.”

At Arquia, it's not just about dressing the next generation. It's about shaping it with care, creativity, and consciousness.